


Star Wars: Episode IX – Heir to Victory

by GrgBrns



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Complete, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Fantasy, Force Bond (Star Wars), Happy Ending, M/M, Mythology - Freeform, Rey is Not a Palpatine (Star Wars), Romance, Slow Burn, Stormtrooper Rebellion, redemption arc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:02:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 123,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27805030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GrgBrns/pseuds/GrgBrns
Summary: Sequel toThe Last Jedi.Upon a secluded planet, the Final Order regains their strength! Facing total annihilation and with little time to prepare, the depleted Resistance are forced to mount a desperate offensive to end the threat - but Commander Finn believes there is another way to win this war!Meanwhile, despondent warriors Rey and Kylo Ren’s desires are intertwined once again by the sinister Knights of Ren and the prophetic powers of the Oracle - as the ‘Heir to Victory’ will change the future of the galaxy forever!
Relationships: Poe Dameron/Finn, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 2
Kudos: 25





	1. Preface

Hello, Grgbrns here!

This is my written sequel to _The Last Jedi_ , and the ninth and final chapter to the Star Wars saga!

I wanted to prioritise Rey, Finn, and Kylo Ren - so this is _their_ story.

I strove to use my own original ideas and concepts as much as possible, whilst taking inspiration from the films, comics, and concept art from both Star Wars and other media. My aim was to create a vision for my own Star Wars story, a complete final chapter that unites the saga, and not patchwork TROS into something slightly better.

I’ll be releasing a chapter every week, for a total of ten chapters! Alongside a poster, I’ll also be releasing artwork on my twitter (including character designs and location concepts) and any changes to the chapter schedule - so check [@TheGeorgeBarnes](https://twitter.com/TheGeorgeBarnes) for updates or to ask me anything!

I’d like to give thanks to - my dear friend and colleague Tess ([@likemarilyn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/likemarilyn/pseuds/likemarilyn)) for helping me write and edit this fic, James for reigniting my love for Star Wars, and you for taking the time to read!

Thanks, and enjoy _Heir to Victory!_


	2. Title Crawl

**STAR WARS**

**Episode IX**

**HEIR TO VICTORY**

A legend of hope! 

Jedi Master Luke Skywalker has 

sent shockwaves across the galaxy 

by single-handedly rescuing the 

wounded RESISTANCE from 

certain death by the menacing 

FIRST ORDER.

Spurred on by Skywalker’s valiant 

stand against evil, individuals from across 

the galaxy follow coded starmaps to join 

the reclusive Resistance, who are in 

desperate need of soldiers.

However, the forces of the dark-side 

tighten their grip across panicked worlds. 

Admiral Hux commands a mass 

Stormtrooper occupation across the galaxy, 

determined to discover the new outpost of 

the Resistance. 

Meanwhile, Supreme Leader Kylo Ren 

advances his destructive mission to 

create a new galactic order . . .


	3. Prologue

Beneath a blanket of stars, a planet with far more water than land comes into view. Ahch-To’s dual suns are just starting to peek out, but the night has yet to fully recede. A lone ship groans towards the holy nature reserve; its jagged design unsavory, it’s engine smoke clouds the sun as it approaches the tranquil planet. The _Night Buzzard_ advances with sinister intent. 

A few hours before dawn on Temple Island amidst Ach-To’s vast sea. The horizon is flecked with the promise of sunlight. Thudding footsteps echo around the interior of the first Jedi Temple, signalling the arrival of Kylo Ren. He approaches the pool of the prime Jedi - where his former master became one with the Force - and stares out into the horizon, his hands held behind his back in quiet, composed contemplation. He is wearing a grandiose tunic and cape, leather gloves, belt and boots, lightsaber by his side. He turns and strides back down the steps, his tunic is dirty, his hair long and unkempt, his scar angry red, and his stare sharp. 

A group of six masked men, the _Knights of Ren_ , kneel either side as he exits the holy hall . He gives the structure one last look, then it begins to crumble under his telekinetic command of the Force. The ancient rocks fall into the sea, disturbing the locals - _the Caretakers_ \- as their fishing boats are buffeted. They’re fleeing an invasion; three teams of Flametroopers march across the stone beaches and through the ancient village, sporting new scarlet coloured battle-armour. 

One of Ren's men looks up at him, face covered by a long and crude metal mask. 

“What is your command, Master?” asks Ap’lek, his voice distorted. 

Kylo Ren’s face remains unchanged as he looks out onto the island. 

"Burn it down"

The Knights of Ren go to work, stalking across the island in their armoured uniforms and speaking in dark tongues. Their bladed weapons cut through fleeing villagers, their flames and explosives set the ancient structures of the first Jedi settlement ablaze. They laugh and jeer as they destroy, clearly enjoying their work. They're in tune with the Dark-Side, imposing its unrefined power to aid their destruction of the island and abuse of the terrified locals. 

The door to Luke’s hut is blasted off its hinges by Kuruk, his custom blaster-rifle in hand. He searches through the rubble of the Jedi Master’s room, throwing aside paper and clothing until he unwraps a circular silver item; a compass. He holds the coveted item close as he steps out into the chaos of the siege. 

_“Finally.”_

Now moving through the ancient village in lines of three, the Flametroopers lower their D-93 Incinerator rifles and begin to coat the island in blankets of fire. Kylo Ren walks amongst his men’s work, flanked by flames. He feels a righteous satisfaction bubble inside his stomach, watching his master’s home burn to the ground. He will purge the galaxy of any mention of that spiteful old fool, and that will start here. 

On the stone shore, the small alien villagers scrabble together what little they have into fishing boats to flee. So advances one of the Knights, a cruel vibroscythe in hand, ringed by Flametroopers. 

"Open fire!" commands Vicrul, with scarcely repressed glee. 

The Flametroopers obey and the screams of burning caretakers are hard to stomach. Some make a stand, giving their lives to protect the boats as a dozen escape.

Kylo Ren approaches a tall, wooden structure as it appears from the smoke - the Jedi Library. Whispers in the Force heard on the wind previously are strangely absent. The wood has been split and burned, prior to their arrival. Though Ren’s expression doesn’t change, the betrayal of his master and the burning of his training temple play out in his head, summoning molten anger that boils his very blood.

Conducting the surrounding flames with his hand and a rending of the Force, Kylo Ren ignites the wooden library. Vindication crosses his face, but also hesitation - he senses something… He turns to look beside him. A girl, with her hair in buns and draped in a cloak, stands next to him. She too looks at the library, in awe. _It's her._ Ren draws a sharp breath, shocked by this sudden appearance, but the apparition disappears, merely an echo of the past. But the damage is done. Ren’s carefully maintained composure has been disrupted, and with that comes consequence. 

Behind Ren, one of his knights pauses, sensing this hesitance too. Ushar lowers his large warclub and turns a helmeted head slowly, locking his gaze with his master. Ren immediately purges any thoughts of the girl from his mind. Strengthening his resolve in the face of suspicion, Ren gathers up a handful of ash, looking out at the cremation of the sacred island, and talks to his absent master;

“Now do you understand? The Jedi are dead, from their bones rises; **_the Final Order._ ** _”_

He sweeps past Ushar, who falls in step behind as Ren observes the brutal work of his soldiers. The ancient structures are but rubble and flame, as Knight and Flametrooper alike move across the scorched earth.

“Do we have it?” Ren asks his masked lieutenant. 

Ushar nods, his helmet warping his voice deeper as he replies: 

“Yes, Master.” 

Ren’s expression remains unchanged. 

“Pull them out,” he commands Ushar. “Let’s finish this.” 

A moment passes before Ushar nods. 

As the caretaker survivors escape out of reach at sea, a lone Flametroopers pauses on the beach. TN-2729 stares into the carnage of the small burned bodies at her feet. The flames dance across her blank helmet, the screams of the dead somehow still audible. She turns away with great effort and fatigue. As she follows her squadmates, she is watched from afar by Kylo Ren. Strong in the Force, Ren senses her displeasure, her disgust. He should single her out, punish her for weakness. His hesitation before has cost him dearly; he sensed the awakening of FN-2187, and his indecision allowed the traitor to escape, to later injure him. He should punish her for the crimes they are both guilty of. TN-2729 marches past him, but Kylo Ren says nothing. 

He doesn’t know why. 

Once his forces are inside; Ren enters the lone ship and passes squads of Flametroopers towards the cockpit. General Engell, a sharp looking woman in her late 40s, addresses her Supreme Leader as the ship begins to rise through smoke and ash. 

“Cannons ready, Supreme Leader.” 

Kylo Ren’s gaze remains locked with that of the island below him, allowing a small nod to give General Engell his approval. 

As the villagers watch, the large jagged ship – _the Night Buzzard_ – hovers high above the smoking isle, like a bird of prey. It rains down a barrage of laser cannon fire, decimating the island as it’s surface crumbles, falling into the sea. The waves become aggressive as the _Night Buzzard_ speeds away, into the stars and the retreating night. 

The sea subsides, and the caretakers comfort their crying children. The sea swallows the flaming mess that was once Temple Island, lost forever beneath the waves. But the worst is over. The survivors look to the now rising sun, reflected in their eyes. It glints off of a small pendant a child holds in a circlet of meditation beads – a silver medallion of the Jedi. _Hope_.


	4. Part I - The Beacon

Three travellers clad in cloaks and hoods keep a running pace as they make a path through a deep canyon of a large mountain. Their hoods keep the morning sun out of their eyes, and they come to a halt at a fork in the road. The slightly older lead of the group retrieves a small blinking device from her jacket, pressing an insignia on the side in the shape of the Resistance starbird. The beacon activates, guiding them down the right hand path, towards the mountain's shadow. She beckons to her companions to follow, but stops dead as a blaster bolt strikes the ground just in front of her.   
  
The three travellers whirl around, searching for the source of the shot. A rumbling sound answers as two speeder bikes charge towards them, circling them menacingly as two scarlet-armoured Scout Troopers atop them aim their blaster pistols. The three travellers slowly raise their hands as the speeders come to a stop, blocking their advance. One of the Scout Troopers dismounts, approaching the travellers cautiously. 

“Don’t you move!” She commands, pistol raised. 

She approaches the leader of the group and snatches the beacon from her grasp, examining it. She fumbles with it, but without the secret button pressed, the beacon is useless. She throws it to the ground angrily, and pushes the barrel of her pistol into the travellers face. 

“Where. Is. The _Resistance?_ ”

As if to answer, her pistol is knocked from her grasp by a single, well-placed blaster bolt, spinning away across the dusty floor. The shooter approaches from behind a rock, a man in his early twenties, blaster pistol raised. He’s sporting a fine fit of navy trousers, dark shirt and a familiar brown leather vest, flashing a determined smile from beneath a crop of wild hair. 

“Right here,” says Finn, cocking an eyebrow cheekily. “Guess you need your visor checked, _trooper._ ”

The Scout Trooper begins to raise her hands, but her partner goes for his pistol. A flash of sparks erupts from his hand as it’s peppered with blaster bolts. He shouts in pain, dropping his weapon. From behind him, a woman aims a blaster rifle at him, clad in a scrappy officer uniform in the colours of the Resistance, a metal pendant dangling from her neck. Rose Tico affixes the trooper with cold intent, her voice filled with confidence.   
  
“Surrender, whilst you still have a chance!”

The Scout looks from Rose to Finn, and starts to panic. He raises a hand, only to bring it down on the handles of his speeder, which jets forward, forcing his partner to dive out of the way as he makes a desperate bid for escape. Rose is ready, dropping to one knee and unleashing a flurry of blaster bolts in his path. The rear of the speeder catches two, and the engine explodes, its rider’s scream inaudible as he’s engulfed in flame. 

The travellers watch, amazed, slowly lowering their hands. The second Scout begins to stand, but Finn still has his blaster trained on her. 

“Don’t even think about it.”

The Scout raises her hands once more but now, a blinking white light has appeared on her belt. 

“Too late,” she sneers. “You Resistance scu-” 

Before she can finish her insult, Finn clicks a button on his blaster and hits her with a blue stun bolt. Her arms go limp and she falls comically forward, like a puppet with cut strings. Finn rolls her over and examines her belt, locking eyes with an approaching Rose.

“Oh no,” sighs Finn, deactivating the blinking light on the Stormtroopers belt and locking eyes with Rose. 

“They’ll be coming for us.”

The gravity of this statement is shown in Rose’s anxious gaze; the Resistance’s circumstances have just turned grave. They nod at each other, both acknowledging their next step without words. Rose digs deep, summoning her warm smile and looks to the three spacers, who gaze between her and the fallen Stormtrooper in confusion.

“It’s a very brave thing you all did, making your way here.” She says brightly. 

The three travellers stay frozen, hesitant. Rose lowers her blaster, retrieves the discarded device from the floor, and indicates the Resistance symbol as she returns it to the eldest traveller.  
  
“You’re safe now!”

Finn lifts his now prisoner into a shoulder carry. He and Rose jog into the shadow of the mountain, beckoning the travellers to follow them. There simply isn’t time to explain the danger they are now in. Finn matches Rose’s smile, and gestures to the aftermath of the firefight; 

“Welcome to the Resistance!” 

* * *

  
  


“We heard about it all the way in the core worlds!”

A rusted looking speeder jets through the mouth of a large underground tunnel. Atop it sits Finn, Rose, their three recruits, and the Scout Trooper prisoner in binders. Finn leans the steering slightly as they turn a corner, exiting into an even larger tunnel and deeper into the mountain. Rose turns in her seat, giving her full attention to the recruits as they babble. 

“Did Luke Skywalker really face the First Order _alone?!_ ” 

The travellers eagerly search Rose’s face for answers, and she nods excitedly. 

“That’s right!” Finn shouts back over his shoulder. “I saw him. Wouldn’t be here myself if he hadn’t saved us, and Rose here-” 

He nudges his friend on the shoulder. 

“-she made sure I lived to tell the tale.” 

Rose laughs this off, but there’s genuine affection in the look she gives Finn. He turns the speeder into a smaller tunnel, approaching an orange light at the end. They exit into a large cavern, where artificial lamps have been set up to overlook the new Resistance outpost. 

Crewmen and pilots tend to several dozen ragtag starfighters, some old, some new, all decorated in various colours to mark their squadron. Larger tunnels span out of the cavern, the widest occupied by a bulkier starship adorned with the Resistance colours. Several communication stations are dotted around, with a raised platform and holotable setup for the Resistance leadership to plan their next move. A number of caves double as barracks and common areas, and before them a small squadron of recruits are being drilled. The travellers look in awe at the view at their new surroundings, as Finn maneuvers the speeder down a stone ramp, approaching the many different ships. 

Rose shoulders some of the luggage the travellers toted, leading them over to security and beginning their orientation into the Resistance. Two security officers obey Finn’s orders, taking the captured Stormtrooper to their makeshift penitentiary. He picks up the troopers belt, feeling his heart of optimism drop slightly. He looks around. Though their numbers have more than tripled in the year since the Battle of Crait, he knows in his heart there are still too few of them. 

“We’ll be ready for a fight soon,” chimes in Rose as she rejoins him, scooping up her medic bag from the speeder. “It just takes time.” 

Finn puffs out his chest, grateful for the boost of morale. 

“Thanks, Rose.” 

She shrugs, her expression turning to one of teasing. “Come on, _Resistance Hero Finn!_ ” 

They both laugh as they move to the centre of the base, approaching the raised holotable. Around it stand many experienced pilots and officers of the Resistance, but the man they're looking for stands at the centre.

General Poe Dameron, ace pilot and leader of the Resistance forces, leers before the holotable, rubbing his stubbled chin as he thinks. He is dressed in a long coat, with his flight suit and apparatus tied haphazardly around his waist, ready for action. The holomap before him shows the spread of enemy forces, now occupying multiple worlds. He listens to suggestions between his lieutenants of the location of their foe's base, but none grab his attention. Something else pulls his focus away from military affairs. 

“Finn! Rose! You’re back!” 

Poe moves through the small crowd and clasps a hand on Finn’s shoulder, noting the jacket he donated still being in fashionable use as a handsome vest. 

“What’s new on the recruitment front?”

“Good! Good!” replies Rose from beside Finn. “Three newbies, but-” 

She pauses, and Finn completes the sentence; “-but we’ve been found.” 

Finn holds up the belt. Poe examines it sharply, cocking an eyebrow. “Is it a flare beacon?”

“I think so,” replies Finn. “I’m sorry Poe, I-”

“Hey, none of that,” Poe interrupts, looking into the faces of both his commanders. “Any recurites are a success, _alright?_ ” 

Vindicated, Rose beams at both Finn and Poe with renewed optimism. Poe straightens himself up, running a hand through his hair as he again strains to think. “How long do you think we have?”  
  
Rose and Finn look between each other. “I’m not sure. I brought the Scout Trooper responsible back, she’s out.”

“That’s great!” replies Poe, a plan slowly forming in his mind as he approaches the holotable, configuring it to show a local map of their current location in the root of the mountain. 

“Leave defense to me, I’ll cover all the tunnels.” He turns to look down at them.

“Rose: begin to roundup the other commanders and get each squad into their ships for evacuation.” 

Rose nods enthusiastically, her ponytail bobbing up and down. 

“Yes General!” 

She shoulders her medpack and heads for the barracks to coordinate. Now it’s just the two of them, Poe affixes Finn with a more relaxed look, which he returns. 

“Want me to help with the evac?” Finn asks. 

Poe shakes his head, taking the belt from Finn’s hands and drifting off into thought once again. His tone suddenly becomes more serious as he taps the beacon with his thumb, anxiously. 

“You know the Stormtroopers better than anyone, so I’m tasking you with extracting any intel you can from your prisoner. Lives will be saved the more we know.” 

Finn nods, the responsibility of this mission familiar to him. Poe passes the scarlet belt back to Finn, with a wink. “Maybe they’ll tell us about their new colour scheme too.”

They both chuckle at the joke and Finn turns to leave, but a question halts him. After a slight hesitation, he voices it. 

“What if she doesn’t talk?” He asks Poe. 

Poe’s expression of laughter turns slightly grave, revealing the shadow of his life as a soldier. 

“The Stormtroopers are agents of the enemy, Finn. You’ll have to take her out.”

He salutes his commander with a nod, then turns to begin organising the defense of the base. The message is clear; _‘that’s an order’._

Finn returns the nod, but his hesitancy remains. Both he and Poe have felled many foes with both blaster and starfighter, but something about this gives him a cold feeling. Is it guilt? Still unsure, Finn makes his way through the throng of pilots and soldiers towards the penitentiary. 

If only he had help.

* * *

  
  


Far beyond the welcoming lights of the outpost, a tunnel rumbles. 

The sounds of falling dirt and debris can be heard, buffeted by large bodies moving through the rock. But another noise can be heard. A woman’s voice.  
  
“Lesson One: The Force belongs to all, not the one.”

Leather gloved hands move aside two large stones, and raise a lantern, revealing the owner of the voice. Rey’s hair is past her shoulders now, held in a single bun. She is clad in a long garb of sturdy grey cotton, leather belts and boots covered in grit. A worn hooded cloak is wrapped around her shoulders, and her wide eyes search the illuminated dirt beneath her. She digs a gloved finger further into the dirt, but no sign of what she seeks.

She turns the lantern to brighten the void behind her, and an eerie view is greeted. She stands atop the edge of a large underground tunnel, not dissimilar in size to the one Finn & Rose just traversed through. Below her, several truly grotesque creatures bury their faces in tandem into the front of the tunnel. Their long, pale bodies give them the appearance of giant worms. Their only distinguishing feature is the thirty-seven rows of teeth that spiral around and inside their large mouths, currently in use drilling them further and further into the earth. As Rey approaches the creatures in the lantern light, the comparison of size is thrown into sharp relief; the exogrubs tower over even the largest Resistance starfighter. 

Rey breathes deep, the calm she feels rippling out. The exogrubs stop eating away at the dirt and instead sniff the air around them sharply, sensing Rey approaching the front of their group. They’ve been diggin too far down. She places a hand on the solid earth before them, her powers allowing her an insight even these evolved creatures lack, and she finds what she seeks. Rey can feel the warmth of the sun, hear the whistle of the wind, smell the fragrance of mountain flora, a few metres above them. But this gift does not just belong to her, if she wishes. With minimal effort, she expands these sensations in the Force, touching the minds of her writhing companions. 

“Lesson Two: Victory lights the way, but failure teaches the path.”

She opens her eyes, and the exogrubs cease their sniffing around, instead looking upward. They sense what she has sensed. Rey retreats and the exogrubs resume digging, changing their trajectory upward and working incredibly fast. As they crush and siv through the dirt, their teeth pick out large deposits of natural crystal in the earth, which they consume with relish. 

As the grubs follow the veins of crystal in the earth, the mile-diameter tunnel begins to perk upwards. Rey keeps pace behind as the creatures work. She is joined by BB-8, who rolls out from behind one of the smaller creatures, whining beeps of concern. Rey, her face sweaty and grubby, chuckles at his worries. 

“Wait for it…”

A sound like a large egg cracking signals what Rey has been waiting for. One of the taller exogrubs breaks through the top of the tunnel, and sunlight fills the cave. They fuss, crawling over each other as they carve a circular hole in the earth, which dwarfs Rey and BB-8 as they walk out into the sunlight. 

Rey turns and looks back onto the horizon of Brentaal IV. They’re a good distance away from the mountain now. The exogrups follow a vein of glittering crystal, and begin to dig a new tunnel, of which thousands litter the surrounding areas of the mountain. BB-8 whistles in admiration as the grubs swiftly disappear into the earth again. Rey grins in satisfaction, before entering their tunnel once more to make the journey back. She continues her meditation. 

“Lesson Three - ” 

But Rey is stopped by her droid companion, who squeals in fright. Before them in the gloom of the tunnel sits a younger exogrub. It writhes violently, a coarse noise emanating from it’s serrated throat, like a jammed engine. BB-8 backs away in fear, but Rey can sense with more than just her eyes. A familiar sensation emanates from the three ton monster - _pain_. 

Rey steps forward, stretching a gloved hand towards the wall of teeth and gums that writhes before her. She slows her own breath, and the cries of discomfort coming from the young grub follow suit. Rey hovers her hand over the rows of teeth, filling her mind with the exogrub’s anguish, and finds the source. An apple-sized stone has become stuck in the gap between gum and tooth, drawing blood on it’s jagged edge. Slowly, Rey wraps her fingers around the rock and pulls it free, massaging the mind of the exogrub to dull the pain. It ceases squirming, gives her an inquisitive sniff, then wriggles past her and BB-8 to join it’s fellows in the new tunnel. 

The success of her good work puts a perky smile across Rey’s face. The rock still in her hand, she senses something deeper about the rock, and decides to keep it. She bends down, unclipping a small bag from her belt, and tries to find room for it amongst other items. She maneuvers space between two ancient books with wooden covers, but the stone is too big. She eyes two broken halves of a lightsaber hilt in her bag with unease, before reclipping it and turning to BB-8. 

“Can you look after this for me?” 

BB-8 opens up a compartment diligently, but divulges a slew of angry beeps at her. He’s clearly not happy she approached the giant grub. Rey’s perky smile returns. 

“Oh, and let's say I didn’t help next time? Like a lone droid caught in a net?!” 

Rey ignites her lantern and begins to traverse the slow decline back into the tunnel, enjoying her tease. 

“How would you feel about that?”

BB-8 follows her at a lesser pace, letting out a sequence of grumbling beeps.

“Come on” Rey cheerfully responds. “I wasn’t going to allow others to suffer whilst I could do something about it!” 

BB-8 rolls his little red eye, conceding. Rey turns her attention ahead, lifting her lantern, but stops dead. The echoes of the cave and BB-8’s rambling disappear suddenly as a familiar sensation washes over Rey. Before her is not the expansive gloom of the tunnel, but a man. His hair hangs unkepts around his eyes, as he looks into the flickering lights of a fire. This isn’t a memory, this is happening right now. Their connection has regained its strength. 

Ben’s gloved hands are intertwined before his face, gazing at a fire Rey cannot see. She takes a step forward, hand reaching slightly, wishing he would look. But as unprocessed feelings bubble inside Rey, so do memories. Ben offers her his hand, vowing her the galaxy in exchange for the lives of her friends. She buries the memory again but more come, worse. The faint echoes of a crying girl, and other familiar adult voices. That Day. 

_No._

Rey straightens her back and marches forward, past Ben, refusing to be distracted. As she walks something else enters her senses; _worry_. Up ahead, she can feel the energy change at the outpost. Has something happened to the Resistance?

BB-8 catches up with her, beeping a question of concern. Rey knows that Ben is still there, but a closed-off sadness stirs deep within her. _I can’t help him._

“I think we’re needed elsewhere” replies Rey, resolute. 

With that, both Jedi and droid advance into the gloom together. 

* * *

  
  


The Resistance outpost is now alive with activity. Pilots and personnel scatter amongst the starships whilst soldiers build barricades and pass blaster rifles between them. Above the bustle in an overlooking cave stands Leia Organa - matriarch of the Resistance and legendary Rebellion hero - who steels herself for yet another fight. Behind Leia, several comm terminals and datascreens have been set up. A small team of personnel and droids man the controls, broadcasting distress signal and requests for sanctuary. Leia herself looks over the planets they’re reaching, of which there are too few. 

“General! Oh, General!”

Leia turns in reply to the anxious cries of her personal golden protocol droid. 

“What is it 3PO?”

The droid wrings his hands at his makeshift terminal. “We aren’t getting any response as our signal isn’t strong enough! If we carry on like this, we’ll have nowhere to evacuate _to!_ ”

Leia’s calm and motivated demeanour is unphased by such whinging. 

“If you’ve done all you can 3PO there’s no need to fuss.”

She points over his shoulder towards a blue coloured astromech, working away near the back of the cave. 

“Why don’t you go and help R2 boost our transmitter power?”

3PO looks from Leia to R2 and back again, accompanied by an enthusiastic whistle by R2. 

“I-err-yes General, of course.” 

He shuffles off to join his long time companion, and Leia resumes her work in peace. A familiar voice sounds behind her. 

“Has something happened?”

Leia turns to look upon Rey filling the entrance to the cave, approaching her anxiously with BB-8 at her side. Leia feels a kinship with the young Jedi that allows the tension in her shoulders to loosen slightly. 

“I’m afraid so, Rey. The First Order has discovered our location.” 

Leia clasps a hand round Rey’s gloved one, patting it reassuringly. “You best go pack your things, the evacuation has begun.” 

BB-8 chirps a string of alarming beeps, and rolls past Rey and out the cave as fast as his round body can carry him. Leia dutifully returns to her comm terminal but Rey doesn’t budge. Being strong in the Force means her surroundings are easily perceived, including the feelings of others. Though Leia portrays the warmth and calm of the leader she’s always been, Rey can sense anguish. 

The young Jedi approaches Leia, lowering her voice knowingly. 

“Leia… let me help.”

Leia turns to look upon Rey. In a way, this young woman sees parts of Leia that she masks from even her lifelong comrades. That, coupled with her connection to the Force, means the truth is difficult to conceal when Rey’s around. Despite her life in military and diplomacy, Leia finds this comforting.

“The mountains of _Brentaal IV_ are useful for avoiding detection, but are preventing us from broadcasting coded communications to our potential allies.”

She indicates to 3PO, R2 and the power converters. “We’re trying to strengthen our signals but not much seems to be working.” 

Rey drums her fingers on the keys of the terminal in thought, before an idea comes to her. 

“Rose has been explaining some of her jamming tech to me. I think I know a way!”

Crouching down, she retrieves a screwdriver from her belt and opens the panels of the terminal, moving wires around. 

“Instead of boosting the signal itself, I can ask the terminal to widen its range of signal reading!” 

As she speaks, Rey wrenches a piece of circuitry away from the terminal innards, and tosses it over her shoulder. 

“And if you use an older code - say, your personal code - it can reach further!”

Rey seems in her element as Leia nods along to her explanation. 

“It’ll take me a few minutes though!” Says Rey, realising she’d become caught up in her own tinkering. 

“No, take your time,” replies Leia. 

Though she could see plainly Rey’s excitement for electronics, Leia is no stranger to the Force either. Underneath the warmth and optimism, Leia could sense a discomfort in Rey’s mind, a feeling she knew well. _Sadness._

“Everything alright, Rey?” 

Rey, stunned by the sudden personal question, bangs her head on the circuit board. 

_“Aargh!”_

Rubbing the top of her head gingerly, Rey nods and dons a flustered smile. Leia ponders whether Rey is even aware of her own defences. The young Jedi clicks a few more switches and closes the terminal panel, straightening up. She clacks at the terminal keyboard and the images of planets in range slowly widen. Whistles and beeps of acknowledgement go up from the surrounding droids as their distress signal is received. 

“Excellent!” Chirps Rey as she watches the fruits of her work. “I hoped that’d work.” 

She moves to leave the holoterminal, but Leia places a hand on hers, and affixes Rey’s flustered smile with a stubborn, knowing expression. She isn’t giving up. 

“Rey… Let me help.” 

The repeat of her own words back at her catches Rey off guard. Her shoulders relax, and she sighs gloomly. Where does she even start? She looks from Leia’s concerned face to the holomap of planets. 

“Fixing things like this comes easy. I’ve disassembled and reassembled engines, compressors, processors so many times, it’s all the same...”

Her eyes glaze over, as though peering at something Leia can’t see. 

“But there are some things… connections… I can’t mend.” 

Beneath Leia’s hand, Rey’s fingers curl into frustrated fists.

“And I don’t know why.”

Leia bows her head, knowing exactly who Rey is referring to. But she refuses to let her carry this weight alone. 

“In my time as both a senator and a General, I have seen so many tragedies, so many losses.” As she speaks, Leia retrieves a familiar item from the inside of her coat - a pair of golden dice, linked by a chain. 

“One could say, too many.”

With her free hand, Leia presses keys on the terminal. The planets shown before them slowly light up, as her personal code begins to reach even further. 

“But, there are people that rely on me to be strong, to protect them. And that’s my job.”

She completes the final transmission, and turns to look Rey dead in the eyes. 

“And I gained that strength to endure these losses by having things to live _for._ My family, my friends, these are alI things I want. But to gain these bonds, you need to let those people _in_ , Rey! Show them the real you!”

Rey avoids Leia’s gaze, knowing where she’s going, but Leia persists. 

“You’ve shouldered so much for others already Rey, in fact you’re doing it _right now!”_

She indicates to the holomap of blinking planets, coaxing a grin out of the young Jedi. 

“Take some of that drive to help others and spend some of it on _you._ Work out what you want in this life, and let go of what’s holding you back!” 

Rey looks skeptical, as though such a kindness is foreign and wasteful. Leia responds by prodding Rey in the shoulder, affixing her with a firm gaze and an even firmer tone. 

“Take it from me, that’s how you grow true resolve!”

Rey lets out a short laugh, rubbing the spot where Leia had poked her.

“...Alright,” Rey concedes reluctantly. 

Leia places an arm around Rey and pushes her hurriedly towards the entrance. 

“Now go! Collect your things and find a room aboard the _Craitstar_ , no more sleeping rough!” 

She points to the bulky cruiser filling the largest of the outpost’s tunnels. Rey nods, then pauses in the doorway. Leia’s colossal patience is beginning to be tested. 

“I won’t repeat myself-” Begins Leia, but Rey shakes her head.

“No, it’s not that.” 

She looks to Leia once more, stubbornly. 

“I won’t leave him.” 

There is no delusion in her tone, and no question between the two women of who she is referring too. Leia retrieves her cane and matches Rey’s stubborn gaze. 

“Neither will I. But my son has entered the lion’s den _willingly_ . When he chooses to fight his way out, he will not do it alone, _we_ will be there.” 

She stamps the cane down before her. 

“Until then, we’ll do everything we can to rebuild all we have lost. Agreed?”

A huge weight upon Rey’s shoulders falls away. She smiles wide, acknowledging this as both a pledge and an order; 

“You have my word, _General_.”

With that, Rey hurries off to rejoin the other Resistance fighters still bustling across the outpost. Leia watches her go. After a few moments pass she turns back into the cave, stowing the golden dice inside her coat, but not before gifting herself a long look at them. 

* * *

  
  


In the bowels of the _Night Buzzard_ sits Kylo Ren. This crude dungeon ship is large, easily able to accommodate the multiple squads of flametroopers in its rear compartments. The cockpit and immolation room, of which Ren now occupies, are reserved only for the Knights of Ren and chosen allies. It is a sacred space. 

Trophies and ancient dark-side texts adorn the walls, but it’s most distinguishing feature is the fire pit. A large triangular hole is cut into the floor, descending downwards to a large artificial pyre burning at its centre, the smoke of which is filtered out with the engines. Broad steps ring the inside of the pit, Ren’s tall throne crowning the highest step, it’s back to the cockpit. Ren’s tall form reclines in the angular chair, watching the scene before him. 

All six Knights of Ren stand in unison, watching the flames. Ushar, his warclub on his shoulder, approaches the pyre and extends his hand. He holds a small wooden sculpture of a hooded figure posing with a lightsaber. He crushes the wood beneath his fingers, and throws it onto the flames with a dark growl of laughter. Some, like the axe wielding Ap’lek and explosive expert Cardo, join in with jeers of the Jedi, of their weakness and hubris, their metal shrouds distorting their insults. Others like Kuruk, Trudgen and Vicrul simply watch silently, hands resting firmly on the handles of their weapons. 

The offering of Jedi artifacts to the Dark-Side is gratifying to watch, but Kylo Ren grew restless. He ceases twirling a silver, circular device in his hand. 

“Kuruk!” He growls. 

Sitting near the top of the fire pit, Kuruk tears his attention away from his rifle and approaches the foot of Ren’s throne. He kneels.

“Yes, master?” 

“Tell me what you know of this.”

Kuruk angles his emotionless helmet to stare at the compass in Ren’s hand. 

“We were given a mission. The loadstone inside the compass can lead us to the Oracle, master.”

Ren twists the compass carelessly in one gloved hand, as though it is a confiscated toy. 

“The Oracle is a myth, a Jedi fable.” 

He affixes Kuruk with an intense stare. “And on whose authority was this mission commanded, Kuruk?”

Kuruk’s emotionless mask remained still, pausing for a little too long. 

“Supreme Leader Snoke’s, master.”

At the mention of the name, the muscles beneath Ren’s face tighten, his scar pulses to a deeper shade of red. His words, though calm, barely conceal his venomous tone:

“Snoke was an arrogant fool. He was worthy only of becoming fuel for us to consume. The same is true of the Resistance, of the First Order, the Republic, the Jedi, all ammunition for the rise of the _Final Order._ ” 

He squeezes the compass in his long fingers. The metal groans in protest. 

“Why should I heed the interests of a corpse?”

“Certain victory, master,” comes a voice from behind Kuruk. 

Ren turns his leering gaze upon the jagged and cruel looking mask of Ap’lek. The shrouded knight approaches the throne, standing level with Kuruk, and retrieves a book bound in red bark from his large cloak.

“The Sith feared this power, but we will transcend them by harnessing ultimate control over the future.”

He brings the ancient tome before Ren, unfolding one of the pages. Ren scrutinizes the scrawl of sharp looking characters and two illustrations; one shows an alien-like being with several arms spread wide, the second details two hooded warriors haloed by jagged symbols. Whilst Ren examines the pages, Ap’lek continues. 

“It is written that the Oracle possesses ‘unparalleled future sight’. She bestows absolute prophecies upon those who prove their worth.” 

He gestures around to Ren and the other five knights, all listening now. 

“And who is more worthy than _us?_ ”

Ren looks from the page to Ap’lek, his expression unchanged by the attempt at flattery. He continues to turn the delicate compass over in one hand. Ap’lek bristles, turning the page and running a gloved finger over its reverse.

“The prophecies she has given were instrumental in changing the tides of battles and overthrowing dynasties!” 

He points excitedly to an illustration of a kingdom aflame. 

“The Disciples of Lettow were toppled in _one night_ with her aid!” 

Ren remains unmoved, and Ap’lek’s frustration begins to bleed into his attempts at explanation. 

“The Jedi squandered this resource and they were wiped out! They were weak, soft.”

This probing of Ren’s heritage has the desired effect, as he now affixes Ap’lek with a dangerous stare. Ap’lek draws his attention to the final illustration; a hooded figure commanding a jagged blast of mystical energy. 

“Once we are proven worthy, the Oracle constructs her prophecy around our desire, _our ambitions_ , to influence the future.”

He steps over the tome and kneels directly in front of Ren now, Kuruk also following suit in a show of subservience. 

“The Knights of Ren will demand our future from this Oracle, and certain victory will be yours, master.”

Ap’lek keeps his head bowed as his master stands and towers over him. Kylo Ren considers the possibilities, the potential to realise his dream. With a clatter, he drops the compass before Ap’lek and Kuruk, issuing a single command; 

“Summon her.”

“Yes, master,” utter the two knights in unison. 

Ap’lek snatches the compass hastily, approaching the glowing pyre at the centre of the pit. Kuruk follows, carrying the tome in one hand, flicking the pages with the other. One hand holding the compass still, Ap’lek digs his fingers into the intricate device and wrenches the central crystal stone free. He tosses the once ornate trinket to the floor, peering around before taking a blade from Trudgen’s belt, who swipes at him irritably as he scurries back to face the pyre. Revealing a section of tan skin from under his glove, Ap’lek drives the jagged blade across his palm until beads of scarlet blood leak from the cut. He holds the crystal stone in the now bleeding hand, as he and Kuruk recite an incantation;

_“Mis satchi dzis ri qo an hatsi dirtsarias, diâ nakirji a ajiasosûtsa iw ri tzirji zûtawtumriki zijia kirs, an shasona udati ir kakasosûtsi dzis ji awatia!”_

Kylo Ren watches from above as the room begins to dim, the flames of the pyre reducing to glowing embers, hissing as drops of Ap’lek’s blood drip onto the coals. 

_“Ziji mus! Ziji mus! Ziji mus!”_

At the utterance of Ap’lek and Kuruk’s last chant, a claw of smoke billows upwards from the pyre, almost reaching the ceiling of the immolation room. The shapeless ashes take the form of a large creature, with a thin body and face, six spider-like arms, a pointed mouth, and wide staring eyes. Kylo Ren and his Knights watch with stunned attention. Finally, the Oracle speaks in ethereal voice;

 _“I see you, summoner, and accept your offering. What future do you wish to bring?”_

She directs her echoing words at Ap’lek, but before he can speak, thudding footsteps behind him indicate the approach of Kylo Ren. The tall warrior sweeps his cape behind him as he addresses the smokey form. 

“My disciples tell me you have absolute future sight. The Knights of Ren have need of it.”

The Oracle straightens her large head to look at Kylo Ren, standing tall before his throne.

_“There is nothing absolute about my vision, as all depends on the quality of provision.”_

She raises two of her spider-like arms and gazes upwards. 

_“I see many tangled futures, all messes, guesses. But, those proven of inner competence I can guide to a desired consequence; a prophecy.”_

Ren absorbs her words for a moment before answering. 

“If given a goal, your prophecy can guide us to it?”

She nods at Ren, then looks around the room at all warriors clad in black. 

_“Continuing down this path yields absolute knowledge, but be warned. My prophecies can lead to rebirth, victory, or enemies reformed.”_

She bows her head, almost melancholy. 

_“Acting on prophecy means the Knights of Ren will either achieve ultimate triumph or absolute dismantle. Are you seven prepared to take this gamble?”_

Ren turns his attention to the tome Kuruk used to summon the Oracle - an account of a successful prophecy. He wonders if those who gambled on prophecy and didn’t win faced a worse fate; forgotten by history. _Failures._

He refuses to be a failure. 

“Your prophecy will be of use to the Knights of Ren.” 

Kylo Ren climbs the stairs and approaches his throne, now looking down into the Oracle’s staring eyes. 

“You will guarantee the victory of the _Final Order_.”

The Oracle bows her head in acceptance, although her eyes linger on Ren. 

_“Summon me once more with the blood of your leader, and your greatest enemy...”_

She arches her arms back into her body, as the smokey vision of her form starts to dissipate. 

_“...and I will use that to divine a path to absolute victory.”_

Her words echo around the immolation room as the smoke fades, the flames upon the pyre bursting back into life. Ren watches as his knights gather, united under a cause, and the words ‘absolute victory’ reverberates inside his skull. Vicrul raises his vibroscythe with renewed spirit. 

“Our greatest enemy? She must mean _the Jedi!”_

Vicrul indicates a lump of burned grey cloth amongst their loot from Ahch-To - a poncho that once belonged to Rey. 

“Hunting the Jedi is what we do best. Hell, I’ll do it myself!”

A roar of approval goes up from his gathered kin, but Kylo Ren’s heart skips a beat. _Rey._ He’d been so preoccupied with deciphering the Oracle’s riddles that he’d omitted that crucial detail. As a Jedi, Rey is the ultimate enemy of the Knights of Ren, and now it is their mission to bring her blood. But Ren knew it wouldn’t stop there. 

“Only her blood, Vicrul.” He warns. “Nothing more.” 

Vicrul nods, obeying his master. Ren attempts to once again banish his feelings, rectifying his internal uneasiness when Ap’lek speaks. 

“The other offering is spoken for!” Hisses Ap’lek. “Master Ren will give his blood, as he is the strongest of all of us.” 

Most grunt in mutual agreement, but one of the six approaches the foot of the stairs and points his warclub towards Ren. 

“Don’t be so sure Ap’lek” growls Ushar, leering up at his master. 

“He may be strong in the Ren, but I can sense weakness, hesitation, _sentiment_ , in our ‘Supreme Leader’.”

Ren faces away from Ushar’s words. Regaining his composure, he slowly turns and stares down at the audience of emotionless helmets, rudely reminding him of the one he used to hide behind. Ushar’s senses are sharper than Ren gives credit for. However, not one of his disciples saw his lightsaber hilt leave his belt, now resting comfortably in his left hand beneath his cloak. Kylo Ren sneers. 

“Is there an accusation in there somewhere, Ushar?” Ren sneers down at him from atop the stairs. “Or are you going to fumble your words all day?”

Ushar clenches his warclub in both gloved hands, his voice dropping to a serious whisper. 

“No accusation ‘master’, a _challenge_.” 

These words register an immediate response from the surrounding knights, who step into a crude circle formation around Kuruk and Kylo Ren, challenger and master. The precedent is clear; Ushar has formally challenged Kylo Ren as leader. Ren descends slowly closer to Ushar, his cape draped over his shoulders, concealing his hands. Ushar watches, his foot pivoting on the first step. After a few moments, the tension snaps. 

Ushar yells, dashing up the stairs towards Ren. The caped warrior maneuvers out of his way, but Ushar keeps charging, passing Ren on the stairs. He turns and leaps down at his foe, warclub raised, aiming to crush Ren’s head in a single blow. Ren reveals his right hand from beneath his cloak and extends it towards Ushar, commanding the Force. Ushar freezes in mid-air, then is thrown sideways by Ren’s telekinetic blast. He topples head over heels into the sunken pit, stopping at the bottom. He raises his head, the gaze of his fellow knights on him. He’s worse than injured, he’s _embarrassed._

Ren feels nothing but contempt for Ushar as he now gets to his feet, frustrated. Ushar walks away from the throne staircase, instead climbing the larger stairs that line the pit, until he is level with Ren. Without a moment to lose he charges towards him, warclub slashing at Ren’s torso. Maintaining his composure Ren darts backwards, igniting his crackling scarlet lightsaber and bringing it down on Ushar’s right arm. The time for showmanship is over. But Ushar’s reflexes equal Ren’s own. 

At the last moment, Ushar maneuvers his swing to change Ren’s disarming strike to a glancing blow. The tough leather of Ushar’s armguards burns away, the tan skin scorching where it meets the lightsaber blade. 

_“HUURK-!”_

Ushar swings his warclub crudely, twisting to face Ren who levels his scarlet saber at him. The pain only fuels Ushar’s determination. His warclub’s unique filaments mean it will resist Ren’s blade for a few hits, so he has to make them count. Luckily, Ren is still underestimating him. 

Ushar’s next attack is parried by Ren’s blade, but the second is not. Ushar twists his body and swings the warclub up from the ground, smashing directly into Ren’s chest. The cloaked warrior falls back and, though his guard remains intact, his restrained demeanor does not. Kylo Ren’s dark eyes burn with rage as he dashes forward, blade a blur of scarlet as it seeks to cut Ushar in two. Backtracking, Ushar changes tactics. 

Swinging his club to the side, he outstretches his burned arm towards Ren and activates a switch on his glove. A small metal tube on Ushar’s gauntlet ignites into a stream of flame that engulfs Kylo Ren. Beneath his mask Ushar grins with assured victory, but too soon. Emerging from the flames, Ren’s crackling blade slashes upward - severing the flamethrower gauntlet and the arm it’s attached to. 

_“RRRRAAARRRRGH!”_

Ushar screams as his limb rolls away across the pit floor, but there is still fight in his heart. His weapon swings upwards, but Ren bats it away with his saber, instead kicking the side of Ushar’s head with full force. With a sickening clang, Ushar is flung towards the pyre, rolling to a stop before it. Ushar tries to pull himself up on his good arm, but is stopped by the point of Ren’s lightsaber hovering just over his heart.

“Say it.”

Ren kicks Ushar in the stomach and repeats his demand with a roar. 

_“SAY IT!”_

A trickle of blood dribbles from within Ushar’s mask, which has been dented by Ren’s strike. 

“...Master.” 

Ushar bows his helmeted head. Though physically defeated, Ushar’s challenging words have done their job, biting at the edge of Ren’s consciousness. 

_Hesitation. Sentiment. Rey._

Ren turns to the surrounding knights looking down at him from the edge of the pit. He points with his saber. 

“Does anybody _else_ have a challenge?” He shouts in their direction. 

In response, they all kneel. Kylo Ren unclips his cloak, still smouldering from shielding him against flames, and discards it. He steps over the now unconscious Ushar and ascends the stairs to the throne, his back to his so called allies. He reaches the top of the fire pit, issuing his order from upon high. 

“I will have the power of the Oracle. Get me what I need.” 

Vicrul and Trudgen nod, taking Rey’s poncho with them as they prepare to hunt. Behind Ren, the cockpit doors open to reveal General Engell, a middle aged woman with a sharp face. She bows her head carefully before she speaks. 

“Supreme Leader, urgent news.”

Ren turns and towers over Engell, sweat still dripping from his brow. 

“Yes?” He growls. 

Though Engell looks up into Ren’s face with barely repressed unease, she speaks her next words with satisfaction. 

“We’ve located the Resistance.”

* * *

  
  


BB-8 rolls back and forth across the floor of the Resistance outpost, his red eye searching. He makes his way through a crowd of pilots, beeping alarmingly as he’s almost stepped on before finding who he’s looking for. 

“All done with helping Poe?”

Rey ascends up the boarding ramp to the Resistance flagship _Craitstar_ , her travelling pack and sleep mat in her arms, junk net slung over her shoulder. 

“What do you need me for?”

BB-8 trails after Rey as she places her bags down in a small cabin aboard the flagship. He splutters his reasons for needing her, finishing on a beep that catches Rey’s attention. She finishes affixing a cloak around her shoulders, and turns to the little droid in surprise. 

“Finn needs my help?”

Rey and BB-8 exit the bulky flagship and descend the tunnel leading to the detention level. A chill bristles Rey’s cloak as they reach the cells. Two guards stand either side, pistols and shock prods holstered in their belts. They both greet Rey with a welcome nod, and linger on her for a few seconds when she returns the courtesy. Her rescue of the Resistance at the Battle of Crait is well known and, coupled with her attitude and skills synonymous with the word ‘Jedi’, Rey has garnered a curious respect amongst most of the Resistance troops. Having most of her life in the company of no more than herself, Rey has incorrectly assumed that nods and awe-filled looks are just common courtesy.

BB-8 rolls ahead and gives Finn’s boot a slight nudge. He’s crouched on a bench, deep in thought, and looks up when BB-8 and Rey come into his view. His mood immediately changes, as the pair pull each other into a welcome hug. When they break apart, Rey’s smile is all cheeks and warmth. 

“Someone call for help?” She enquiries, sarcastically. 

Finn chuckles. “Ha, always.” 

He places a hand on her shoulder and turns to face the end cell. Whilst BB-8 wanders around their feet, Rey examines the cell, which is the only one occupied. A woman sits upon the bed block inside, staring at the wall. Finn shakes his head. 

“I’m having trouble getting any info out of her, she refuses to talk,” he admits. 

Frustration, with a twinge of guilt, still bubbles in Finn’s stomach.

Rey spots a pile of scarlet armour to her right, with the Scout Trooper helmet perched atop, presumably the prisoner’s. She comes to a natural conclusion. 

“She’s the reason we’re evacuating?”

Finn nods. 

“The First Order has sunk it’s claws deep. She won’t listen to me.”

Rey looks from the dark shape in the cell to Finn, realising that he has already conjured the answer subconsciously. She considers how to lead him naturally to this conclusion. 

“Why did you send BB-8 to get me and not Poe?”

Finn straightens up, flustered by the abrupt question. 

“Err well, I know what Poe would say-” The tinge of guilt inside him spreads, like a chill.

_“-‘We are at war.’”_

Rey knows exactly what he means. Such apathy for the life of a prisoner lights a righteous flame in Rey’s chest, but she moves past resentment towards Poe. It’s important that Finn understands too, and she senses the same flame bubbling inside him already. She presses on. 

“Why did you ask for _my_ help, Finn?”

Finn looks at her and sighs. It isn’t Rey - his friend - that he seeks for guidance. It’s Rey - _the Jedi._ He knows the feeling he gets from this prisoner is beyond his five senses, and that the only person who understands is Rey. He tries to put that feeling into words. 

“When I’m in there talking to her, I can… _feel_ something. Like, we’re sharing an emotion.”

Rey tries to imagine what it must be like to be captured and taken to the base of the enemy, alone. Infact, from her several brushes with the First Order, she doesn’t have to imagine hard.

“Fear?” guesses Rey. 

Finn shakes his head solemnly. 

“Terror.” He affixes Rey with an intense, almost pleasing look. “And she’s not terrified of us.” 

Rey doesn’t need her connection to the Force to see that Finn has felt the same dread once before, when he was a conscripted soldier of the First Order as well. The scarlet helmet leers at them through the darkness. Now Rey allows the righteous flame inside her to fill her body with warmth, drawing strength from it, summoning her smile. 

“Then that’s our approach. We don’t interrogate her, that’s _their_ way.”

Understanding blossoms over Finn. This terror he’d experienced before, over a year ago when he’d been deployed on Jakku. Terror, as he watches Slip die in his arms. And rejecting that terror as he lowers his weapon against defenceless villagers. Terror, intimidation... that is _their_ way. So what is the right way?

“...saving what we love,” says Finn, more to himself. He makes up his mind, and matches Rey’s smile. 

“I think I know what to do. Ready?” 

Rey nods and they advance toward the cell, passing the emotionless helmet. The click of the electric lock and vanishing rayshield alerts the prisoner, who stands immediately. She’s slightly shorter than Rey, with a crop of thick black curls and deep brown skin. Without her Scout Trooper armour, she wears only her standard issue body glove and boots. Her brown eyes affix Finn with a look of utter disdain as he and Rey enter the cell. A moment of silence passes before Rey moves in front of Finn to match her gaze with warmth. 

“May we sit with you?”

The prisoner gazes at Rey, unable to comprehend such pleasantries. She looks to Finn, as if waiting for an explanation

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Rey says calmly. 

The Jedi takes a seat on the empty bed block, facing the still standing prisoner. She retreats until her back rests on the wall, looking down at Rey in confusion. Finn leans against the frame of the cell door, and makes a show of discarding his blaster from his belt, leaving it outside. Rey looks up at the intimidated woman. 

“We’d like to ask a few questions,” she continues calmly. “If that’s alright?”

The prisoner doesn’t answer, looking between Rey and Finn suspiciously. Rey shuffles a little closer to her. 

“We mean you no harm, I promise.” 

And Rey means it. Finn nods in agreement. Another moment passes of intense staring, then the prisoner sits gingerly near the back of the bed block and faces Rey. Finn can almost feel the compassion rippling out from Rey in waves, as though her emotions were as plain as the clothes she wore. He’s unsure if this is her skills in the Jedi arts, or just how she is. Either way, he’s glad she’s here. Rey smiles warmly at the prisoner.

“My name’s Rey, what’s yours?” She chirps. 

The prisoner glares at Rey, as though insulted, and stares at the wall between her two guests. 

“I know who you are,” she says to the wall, voice as sharp as her stare. “And I know you’re going to invade my mind.”

Rey is slightly taken aback. Is this really what the First Order said about her? 

“No, I’m not-” but the prisoner cuts across her, breathing rapidly now.

“I’m not going to give up the Final Order, my fellow soldiers, and I’m not scared of either of you _traitors_.”

Her insult is filled with poison as she glares at Finn.

“When they come for you, you’ll _never_ leave Reconditioning.”

Finn remembers the Reconditioning Division aboard the Finalizer, where Phasma had tried to send him. It is a dark place. If you went in, you never remembered coming out - just a feeling of fatigued conformity and the occasional blind nightmare. A shiver creeps up Finn’s spine as he rubs his arms, uneasy. 

Rey can sense his distress too. She stares into the face of the woman now glaring at Finn, and picks out the part of her insult that most fascinates her. 

“The _‘Final Order’_ ?” She inquires. “Isn’t it the _‘First Order’_?”

A smile crosses the woman’s face. 

“What does it matter, I only care about my garrison.”

Rey presses on. “Don’t you have a homeplanet?”

The prisoner scoffs at Rey’s ignorance, still not looking at her. 

“Living in the gutters of shipyards I wouldn’t call ‘home’. The First Order relieved my family of their burden before I can remember. I’m glad. _They_ are my real home.” Her voice swells with pride. 

“They trained me and gave me a purpose: under the Supreme Leader, we will rebuild the galaxy. That is the _Final Order._ ” 

She looks directly into Rey’s eyes with nothing but deluded contempt. 

“You wouldn't understand.”

But Rey does understand. She had heard this plan before, and from the ‘Supreme Leader’ himself. But, surrounded by flames, she had seen the true intentions of Ben Solo. It wasn’t to rebuild the galaxy - but to burn it, to punish it, to demand penance from the Galaxy. It is a familiar feeling, one she’d shared many nights in the boiling days and freezing nights alone on Jakku. The sadness she had buried for so long has reared its head, striving to climb out and take a hold of her once more. But, just like she’d done during those cold nights on Jakku, she’d refused. Surrounded by flames and dead warriors, she had seen where this vengeful path would lead, what would be sacrificed if she followed Ben. And Rey had been strong enough to make the right choice. 

If only this woman could see. 

Rey interlocks her hands before her and leans forward, preparing to speak from somewhere deep inside her chest. She’d only really done so at length with one other person, over a year ago on Ahch-To, and he was not in this room. She took a deep breath before speaking in a low voice. 

“I do understand.” 

She grimaces faintly at the sting of memory before pushing on. 

“My parents sold me when I was five. I guess I was a burden too.”

Rey allows a moment for her words to land. Finn’s mouth drops open in shock. He’d assumed he knew all there was to know about Rey’s home, having met her there, but he’d never asked further. Finn felt ashamed. He had dismissed Rey’s desire to return to wait for her parents as they were swept up in the fight against the First Order. He felt further guilt when he realised that he’d never taken the opportunity to ask her about it over the past year, the assumption being that she was just ‘fine’. His look of sympathy is matched by the prisoner as well, who quickly resumed her mask of sharp indifference. Rey continues, solemnly. 

“I had to scrap all day just to eat. I thought my parents would come back for me, but it wasn’t long ago before I feared they were never coming back.” 

She doesn’t have to spell out why, all three of them know - _they didn’t want her._

“When I finally left, I took nothing with me that I hadn’t made myself. My clothes, my staff.” Her lip trembles, sadness and memory rearing inside her. “Even my name. I made it up.”

She looks into the attentive eyes of the prisoner with this somber truth in hand, and just smiles. Finn is reminded of how Poe had given him a name in the heat of their escape, whilst Rey had no one. His guilt bubbles into frustration at her parents for abandoning her, and anger at the First Order for taking him away from his own. 

“The Jedi and the Resistance has helped me get stronger,” Rey continues. “-But it is my choice what I do with those skills.” She reaches out a hand, and places it upon the prisoner's own. “You have that choice too.”

The prisoner's muscles tense and she withdraws her hand as though Rey’s touch burns her. 

“No, I can’t, I won’t I-” she fumbles between confusion and resentment. Finn approaches the edge of her bed block. 

“‘Reconditioning’, can you remember it?” 

His tone is direct, which startles the prisoner somewhat out of her tangled muttering. 

“What? Yes. Of course.” She looks almost defiant, like a child proud of being reprimanded. “My blaster malfunctioned, I was sent there and learned better.” 

Finn can’t help but look at her with the greatest sympathy. She really believes she deserves to be tortured. He averts his eyes, staring at his worn boots. 

“I don’t remember it. But my friend Slip, he did.” 

Finn clears his throat, searching for words. 

“We were being deployed, but he didn’t want to fight. So he asked for a transfer.” 

Rey and the prisoner watch Finn with rapt attention. Finn finds his words again. 

“He was sent to Reconditioning. When he came back, he was different, like he was asleep whilst walking. His laugh was gone. He wasn’t my friend anymore. He was a tool. The only time he emerged from that was when he was dying in my arms, not a day later.” 

The discordant guilt and fear inside Finn that had emerged since Poe’s order became almost unbearable. He looks directly at the prisoner, and makes his own decision. 

“You won’t face that fate from either of us or the Resistance. If you answer our questions, you’re free to go.”

The prisoner stares at him, completely shocked. She searches his face and finds no hint of deception Rey simply beams at her friend. 

“The Final Order is about remoulding the galaxy?” questions Finn. “Well, the Resistance is about making sure no one experiences Reconditioning again, _ever._ ” 

Suddenly the warmth leaves his voice, and Finn kneels to gaze into the prisoner’s eyes intensely. 

“I’m not asking you to join, but if you don’t help us, a lot of those people are going to die. _Please_.” 

There is a long pause as the prisoner stares at the floor, thoughts racing. 

“You’ll let me go?” She says, in a small voice. 

“We can’t give you your armour and weapons back,” Rey points out, “But yes, free.”

The prisoner stretches and retracts the fingers on her right-hand anxiously. Her options are few. If she was being truthful with herself, her garrison would hand her over as a liability immediately. Then, the Final Order would at best execute her, and at worst, recondition her until she forgot who she was, like Slip. For the first time in her life, the prisoner made a choice unburdened by fear. 

“I’ll do it.” She says, finally. “I’ll help.”

Finn stands, full of delight, offering a hand to pull her up. 

“Thanks! You won’t regret it…. errr….-” 

He pauses awkwardly, realising ‘prisoner’ isn’t a flattering address. 

“It’s AJ-2522,” the woman admits quietly. “That’s the name they gave me.”

“You have our word, AJ-2522,” promises Rey, escorting her out of the makeshift cell. 

“I’ll take you upstairs, you tell our General all you know about your garrison - weapons, numbers, and the nature of the beacon on your belt. Then you’re free to go. Sound good?”

AJ-2522 nods solemnly. She’d made up her mind, and assumed there will be no hiding from these two - who possess annoying sharp intuition. 

“You’ve probably got an hour til they’re here,” she admits dutifully. 

Finn and Rey exchange hurried looks of alarm. Finn holsters his blaster, and retrieves a standard issue vest from the lockup, giving the discarded Stormtrooper armour a private glare. He passes the vest to AJ-2522, marking her as a friendly. 

“Alright, follow me.” 

The three of them approach the stairs and climb. BB-8 rolls behind them excitedly, leaving the guards he’d been annoying in his wake. AJ-2522 seems to not really comprehend his bleeps and whistles, and stares at him as he chatters away to her. Whilst further up the stairs and out of earshot, Finn looks to Rey. 

“Rey, about what you said...” 

Sympathy and regret leak onto his face. 

“Rey, I’m so sorry I didn’t ask. I didn’t even think I-” But Rey raises a hand. 

“Finn, I wasn’t ready before. It was still a bit, you know.” She brushes a stray hair behind her ear, failing to find the words. “And I’m sorry about your friend, and what they put you through. It’s not fair.” 

Finn shrugs, his relaxed persona returning. 

“Ah it’s alright, I don’t remember much of it anyway, just the aftermath.” 

He bops her on the arm, affectionately. “Plus, I had you guys looking out for me.”

Rey laughs, but something catches in her throat. The memory of a man with long curtains of hair, sitting alone, growing smaller as she walks away. Alone. She sighs. 

“Well, there are some that weren’t so lucky.” 

Just like the emotional connection he had sensed with AJ-2522, Finn can sense who Rey is referring to from her feelings - Ben Solo. The scar on Finn’s back aches slightly and his stomach twists, thinking about the dark warrior. 

“You don’t mean Kylo Ren?” 

Rey stops on the steps, a little surprised at Finn’s reaction, but a flash of defiance returns to her next words. 

“And what if I do?”

AJ-2522 and BB-8 were further down the stairs and out of earshot. Finn stops as well, his grip tightening on the hand rail. 

“It’s not the same.” 

Rey, a little ahead, looks down at him. Though she has her own doubts, she settles on the truth. 

“If there’s one thing I know, it’s that there’s light in everyone.” She smiles, remembering something Finn said some time ago. “I saw it in you, didn’t I?” 

Rey continues her climb, leaving Finn speechless. The comparison between himself and the monster who attacked him in the forest made him sick, but the truth in Rey’s words looms over him. After a brief pause he continues after her, thoughts of Kylo Ren replaced by determination for the task at hand. There are people to save. 

* * *

The jagged silhouette of the _Night Buzzard_ blots out stars as it exits hyperspace above a curious planet. 

A sphere of crimson sand, its surface hollowed out in one particular spot, appearing like a jagged black scar. The waste of such rigorous mining now rings the planet in a belt of scarlet rock and debris, which the _Night Buzzard_ guzzles past, making a course for the shadowy scar. The mining stretches so far it disrupts the very horizon of the planet. The sand covered crust has been levelled into sheer cliff faces that end hundred of miles deep, where precious metals have been stripped greedily. This planet is named _Othkore._

Atop a two-mile wide square of artificial flooring sits an insidious structure; a collection of rectangular durasteel blocks, with a tall, gated entrance - the _Final Order Fortress_. Several square towers top the keep, one on each corner and a master at the centre, whilst a thick outer wall rings the entire complex. Red flags adorned with the Final Order crest hang from the ramparts above the gate, which face a long scarlet track to a docking platform reserved for senior command. This track is flanked by no less than 1,000 Stormtroopers, standing to attention in neat scarlet lines, awaiting the arrival of their Supreme Leader. 

Beyond the platform and either side of a continuing track, large shafts had been constructed, hollowing out the earth to form multiple construction pits. They stretched out two-miles in length, and at least half that in depth. Here, conscripted engineers utilise raw materials to construct warships, though they are concealed from view. Currently, the Star Destroyer named _The Finalizer_ is the only one in working operation, having been raised out of its pit.  
These internal shipyards are managed by control towers along the centre track, and conclude at the cliff's edge by a scarlet building with few windows.  
The _Night Buzzard_ passes over this structure and coughs to a halt above the docking platform, facing the track towards the Fortress. It lands between a number of other personal ships, including a large, jet black shuttle with vertical extended wings - Kylo Ren’s personal command shuttle. 

The _Buzzard’s_ docking ramp descends with a hiss of white smoke, and two lines of Flametroopers disembark, forming two lines either side of the ramp. Then, a party of six advance towards the Fortress, up the track flanked by loyal soldiers. Kylo Ren leads, his cape billowing and his expression that of renewed determination. General Engell follows at a brisk pace, flanked by warriors Trudgen, Ap’lek, Kuruk and Ushar. All carry their weapons upon their left shoulder, excluding Ushar whose left sleeve has been drawn around a stump that now ends in a grizzled metallic cap. 

As they close in on the Fortress, Kylo Ren locks eyes with a man watching from one of the large tinted windows of the Central Command Tower. The man has a sharp face, a vigorously combed crop of red hair, and a clenched jaw that gives his scowl of contempt an extra edge. He holds his gloved hands behind his back, pristine white Officer’s uniform freshly pressed and neat in every way. His clothes now contained accents of red, mirroring the scarlet armour of the Stormtroopers under the Final Order. The dual stripe insignia on his arms indicates he holds the rank of Admiral. As his Supreme Leader passes through the outer wall gate and enters the Fortress, Admiral Armitage Hux allows his true feelings to leak onto his face for just a moment; that of genuine hatred. 

The highest floor of the Fortress’ main block contains the war room; rectangular and high ceilings with a thin holotable at its centre, surrounded by a number of chairs. The largest of these seats Kylo Ren; a slightly raised triangular throne with controls inlaid in the arms. Along the table sits the Final Order Senior Command - Generals Engell, Bellava and Quinn, and the slightly older Admiral Griss. Far opposite Ren sits Admiral Hux. They all wear similar jet black uniforms, with the red accent of the Final Order present. A swirl of red sand beats against the tall windows in a constant storm. 

Ap’lek and Cardo guard their master, standing either side of his sharp throne with their weapons held before them, ready to defend him at a moment's notice. On the opposite end of the table, Trudgen and Ushar flank either side of Hux, but their intimidating presence has nothing to do with protecting him. Ren deliberately chose Trudgen and Ushar for this job due to their height and physical intimidation, and he senses Hux’s discomfort already. Ren considers the information Engell had given him earlier, running through the meeting plan in his head but where to start is obvious. A verbal desecration should do the trick.

“Admiral Hux.” Ren’s voice rumbles calmly, almost courteous. “The ‘Final Order’, is it ready?”

Hux stands from his long back chair, running his fingers over the holotable controls. A series of red holo images flashes before them, and Hux launches into an evidently rehearsed dialogue; 

“Our military forces are nearing a peak of 8,000 troops, Supreme Leader.” The ghost of a smirk traces his lips, but he keeps cool. 

“Since the untimely demise of Captain Phasma, I have not only suppressed the irksome circumstances of her death by her own traitorous soldier, but improved upon her duties as leader of the _Reconditioning Division_.” 

A holo-image of the scarlet building with few windows appears, along with a cross section. 

“I have accelerated the recruitment of the Stormtrooper Corps by both conscripting cadets from conquered planets, and improving upon previous methods of Reconditioning that make instances of non-conformity impossible.”

Hux clears his throat, choosing his next words carefully. 

“I have also regained complete control of the narrative regarding the betrayal of FN-2187. It has become ‘known’ amongst our troops that he was executed at the Battle of Crait. Any mention of his name, or any other vague signs of non-conformity are being met with swift reprimand and immediate Reconditioning.”

The holo-image changes to a map of the known galaxy, with a web of a dozen planets marked by the Final Order insignia.

“4,000 Stormtroopers now maintain our hold of these key planets. They have rooted out any and all opposition, and will continue to hunt the remnants of the enemy. The remaining 4,000 troops remain here, aiding in the restoration of our naval forces and defence of this Fortress.”

A holo-image of six Star Destroyers forms alongside his words. 

“We will soon be fully recovered from the Battle of Crait, and victory will be within our grasp, with no military units opposing us.” 

Hux shuts off the holotable and takes his seat, affixing the Supreme Leader with a piercing gaze. The complete domination of his own success and inarguable results in his address should be enough to overshadow any undermining Kylo Ren is planning to throw his way.

Since Ren’s wild rampage on the surface of Crait, Hux decided that Kylo Ren didn’t just need to be outranked, he needed to be cut away from the First Order like an infected limb. The only other person Hux knew as well as his enemies is himself. He had seen a wild lack of discipline that day, as Ren screamed order after order, driven only by adolescent frustration. Hux had envisioned his overthrow before they’d even left Crait’s surface; planning to divert control of the Stormtroopers to purely flow through him and him alone, under the guise of Ren’s military revival as ‘the Final Order’. Then, simply wait for Ren to explode again. He’ll give him a push, a nudge, an undermining here and there, but Hux possesses something that would’ve made Kylo Ren unstoppable; patience.

Hux smirks, plainly, so Ren can see. He had seen to his enemies destruction countless times; Admiral Brooks, Commander Pyre, his own father, dead by his hand. All he has to do is wait. 

Unfortunately, Kylo Ren knows all this and more. 

From across the table, Ren can sense the resentment and spite emanating from Hux, like badly masked body odour. Ren strokes his chin with a gloved hand, considering his old rival and decides to build up to the revelation of Hux’s inadequacy. He doesn’t deny that the thought of it fills him with smug delight and punches the first of many holes into Hux’s outline. 

“The death of Skywalker has fueled dissent, many flocking to join the Resistance,” states Ren, leaning forward slightly. “Where are they?”

Hux is taken by surprise. He’d been sure that Ren wouldn’t resist attacking his achievements. What is his game? He clenches and unclenches his fists under the table as he twists Ren’s question in his mind before replying. 

“Not only have the worlds my troops conquered been specifically targeted to keep valuable resources out of Resistance hands, but we’ve also made a show of punishing Resistance sympathizers. The destruction of Tah'Nuhna, for example.”

As Hux speaks, a holo-image of a planet appears. One of its cities has been levelled by orbital bombardment, which is barren apart from a garrison of Stormtroopers manning an outpost there, TIE starfighters circling the destruction like vultures. 

“We have kept the pressure up to prevent them from catching their breath, and sooner or later they will fall to one of my hundreds of garrisons.” Hux continues quickly, giving no opportunity for interruption. “However, there remains a complication.” 

The holo-image switches off and Hux affixes Ren with a glare, full of spite.

“The _Jedi_ is making both ambush and capture extremely difficult. And as ordered, I have left her to be dealt with by the Knights of Ren.” He musters up the cheek to gesture vaguely at Trudgen standing beside him. “Yet she still remains free to grow stronger by the hour.” 

Hux teeters on the finishing blow, allowing himself to relish in the moment. 

“Following her murder of the Supreme Leader, I imagined her capture would be swift...”

He folds his arms and leans back, leaving the question of Ren’s incompetence hanging in the air, like a foul smell. Hux admits to himself that he may have made a slight oversight: Kylo Ren’s ultimate flaw isn’t his lack of discipline, it is _Rey._

A vein underneath Ren’s scared brow twitches. To him, Armitage Hux is just a tool, an obstacle the Final Order will have to overcome to flourish into the new Galactic power. Ren stands from his throne and walks around the table towards Hux. The Admiral masks his fear almost immediately but Ren passes him, instead approaching the large rear window and the howling dust storm beyond. Molten rage bubbles deep in Ren’s stomach, threatening to melt his precious restraint. 

Ren stares out into the whirl of red sand, Hux’s accusation against his integrity still hanging in the air, and he exerts his control over the Force. The windows groan with strain for a moment, then the dust storm that pelts the windows subsides, the very power of nature secondary to that of Kylo Ren. The silence unnerves the surrounding Generals and stimulates worse reactions inside the mind of Admiral Hux. Ren turns once his subtle display of power is understood by all and addresses the question. 

“The resurgence of the Jedi Order is a danger more serious than even the most able bodied Resistance fleet. The actions of lone Jedi felled the great _Galactic Empire_ , but we are not so foolish.”

Ren gazes down at his senior staff with rapt determination. 

“The sworn duty of the Knights of Ren is to hunt and kill Jedi. My men surrounding you here have all achieved that feat, exchanging a life for a place amongst our number. They will give their own lives for their mission; the complete eradication of the Jedi Order.”

Ren approaches the side of Hux’s chair, standing shoulder to shoulder with Trudgen, who looks straight ahead, his chest swelling with pride. 

“These men aided me in hunting down the remnants of Skywalker’s students, and we will do so once more. We have acquired the power to fulfil our mission, and with the Jedi religion destroyed, the galaxy will be reborn anew under the Final Order.”

He comes to a stop behind General Engell and General Bellava, who do not turn to him. Like Trudgen, they stare straight ahead and listen carefully. Their Supreme Leader continues. 

“General Engell has already exceeded expectations. Using the unity of the Final Order, our General has discovered the _location of the Resistance!_ ”

Engell is surprised Ren even mentions her involvement. The tall warrior places a gloved hand on her shoulder, making her jump slightly, and indicates for her to speak. Hux stares at them both in complete shock. 

“Y-yes, Supreme Leader,” begins Engell tentatively. “Certain garrisons of Scout Troopers have been given flare beacons, specifically to aid in our hunt for the Resistance. An activated flare beacon will summon the entire planet’s garrison to that location and, if the Scout’s lead turns up false, they face execution.”

She presses keys on the holo table, and a large mountainous planet appears, with a radar-like signal pinpointing one of its mountain ranges. 

“Our garrison on Brentaal IV is currently mobilising, after the activation of a flare beacon.” She finishes with a satisfied nod, which Ren returns. He continues to circle the holotable, and chooses his next words carefully. 

“Complete dedication to the Final Order has gifted us with this information. Modelled on the duty of my Knights, this means that every Scout is betting their life on their decisions, and thus our power grows.” He points to the holo-image. “The Resistance _will_ be crushed.”

Ren watches as his senior staff relax at this news. After over a year of chasing, the Resistance has been found, and by Kylo Ren’s methods no less. Even the stern Admiral Griss eyes the holomap before him with surprised approval. Hux’s pale cheeks flush red as he watches the scene unfolding before him. Satisfied, Ren approaches his throne to deliver the finishing blow. He stays standing, leaning on the holotable to bring him closer to the people he’s attempting to win over. 

“We created the First Order here, on this very planet, to replace the _Empire_ . But we have grown beyond that, beyond the ideals of old. We will succeed where both the _Empire_ and the _Republic_ failed. We will not bind the Galaxy to weary ordeals, we will craft a future of our own.” 

He clenches his fist, and the windows of the room rumble with strain once more. 

_“We are the Final Order!_ ”

With that Ren reclines into his throne and waits, releasing his hold on the dust storm. The effect is instant; the howl of the wind returning and the generals looking from one to the other in approval, enthusiasm replacing their fear. They discuss the details of the ‘flare beacon’ and its results in murmurs for a moment. The only one who doesn’t share in this buzz of excitement is Hux, whose face has now drained of all its colour. The four leaders conclude their brief discussion, all looking to Kylo Ren. 

“Most extraordinary, Supreme Leader.” Admiral Griss’ voice is low and rumbling, but his complimentary tone is genuine. “What are your orders?”

Ren’s gaze wanders between them, but it now focuses unblinkly upon his rival. 

“Admiral Hux. I am giving you command of the _Finalizer_. Go to the Brentaal system and destroy the Resistance.” 

He leans back in his throne, wondering if he is overselling the bait. He decides this impossible, due to the bottomless nature of Hux’s insecurity. 

“The Resistance is small and ignorant of our plans. The Knights of Ren will deal with the Jedi and you will destroy the Resistance.”

He lowers his voice slightly, just to make sure his threat is absolutely clear. 

“I will not tolerate failure. Do you understand?”

Hux staves off grinding his teeth long enough to mutter, “Yes, Supreme Leader,” in response.

With the meeting adjourned, all rise and bow to Ren and make their way towards the tall door behind the throne. When Hux tries to follow, Ushar and Trudgen block his escape. Ren issues some commands to Ap’lek in a low mutter, then rises to face his pale rival. He approaches, flanked by his Knights, until all five of them tower over the seated Admiral. Beads of sweat start to form on Hux’s sharp cheeks. 

“Is there something else you need of me, Supreme Leader?” His courteous tone strains. 

Ren scoffs, instead looking at the planet of Brentaal IV represented in holo-image.  
His thoughts sink towards the person he is most interested in, staring at the indicator where she now lived, trained, and slept. He blinks hard, as though this will banish such seductive thoughts. He has come too far. 

“No, Hux. There is only one thing I need to make clear; your army is _mine._ ”

Anger floods Hux’s face. 

“You dare even-” 

He tries to stand, but Trudgen’s gloved hand comes down hard on his shoulder, silencing him by slamming him back down into his seat. Ren talks over him. 

“Your position in the Final Order all depends on this mission. You can either succeed and destroy the Resistance, aiding the First Order in winning the war...”

Ren straightens up, turning to lock his dark eyes upon Hux’s expression of confused shock. Ren’s long, draped cloak seems to increase his already fearsome height even more. A dangerous glint crosses his vision. 

“Or, you fail to destroy the Resistance with all the resources I have provided, and I will execute you personally.” 

Ren watches this ultimatum dawn on Hux. A mixture of anger and fear battles for supremacy beneath the pale face, and Ren relishes his victory. 

“I look forward to watching you fail yet again,” he says, confidently. 

Ren turns and sweeps towards the door, his cloak billowing behind him, his four knights falling into step in his wake. Trudgen digs his thick fingers into Hux’s shoulder before moving away. Hux contorts his face into a mask of defiance. Anger at his loss of control overwhelms his patience temporarily. 

“And what will you be doing whilst I’m off winning the war for you?” Hux shouts. 

Kylo Ren can’t help but smirk. Hux knew so little of the Force and all that can be achieved through rending its power, a lesser man might have pitied him. But Ren takes further pleasure in revealing this to him. 

“The importance of superweapons, hyperspace tracking, and obedient armies are nothing next to the power I will possess.” Ren curls his gloved hand into a fist. “Certain victory.”  
He takes one final look at his hated rival before disappearing through the tall doorway. His four warriors depart, leaving Admiral Hux alone in the war room slumped in his chair.  
He stands, and attempts to quiet the shacking rage pulsing through his blood. A single thought calms him finally; he is being forced to make his move. He smirks, if only Ren knew what he had in store. Armitage Hux is far from beaten.   
  


* * *

  
  


Inside the _Reconditioning Division_ on Othkore, squads of Flametroopers share meek and cramped barracks on a windowless floor. Some are beginning to remove their armour and weapons, exhausted from the day. Amidst the bustle of the cramped rooms, a lone Flametrooper holds her helmet before her. Somehow, the sounds of dying caretakers from the island can still be heard. 

This eerie sound is cut off by an earsplitting siren. A red light bathes the once dim quarters, and a mechanical voice sounds: 

“ _Squads TN, PR, and MT. Report to Battlestations aboard the Finalizer._ ”

The message circles on repeat, as the troopers all replace the helmets, armour and weapons and march from the room. The lone Flametrooper dons her helmet and follows, slightly behind. High above the barracks, a two-way window houses Admiral Hux and gaggle of younger officers. 

“Maintain the pressure, I want what we paid for, and I want it now” finished Hux, addressing one of his younger underlings. “Arms dealers are fickle creatures, they need us far more than we need them.”

“Right away Admiral” the young officer replied, escorting themselves out of the room. 

Hux watches the tardy Flametrooper with disdain. He picks her out with a gloved finger, indicating to an armoured trooper to his left. “Captain, round up our Reconditioning offenders before departure, and add TN-2729 to the list. We must bore out weakness.”

The Captain bows his head in acknowledgement. Flametrooper TN-2729 is halted, cuffed, and led down a deep staircase, along with three other restrained Stormtroopers. Admiral Hux follows behind, his white uniform contrasting with the black and red interior. The lights grow dim and the purpose of this under level is revealed; large vertical beds are affixed to the floor by large metal arms, several masked medical attendants surround them. 

The four troopers are ordered to surrender themselves, strapped down to beds, mechanical arms lifting off their helmets, revealing passive expression but terror in their eyes. With Hux’s order, the attendants and mechanical arms of the Reconditioning cradle go to work, beginning a well-practised procedure of discipline torture. The trapped troopers stare straight ahead, and Hux watches with business-like apathy as they start to scream. Hux truly believes this is necessary. 

Out on the Othkore landing platform, the Knights of Ren make adjustments to the _Night Buzzard_ and Kylo Ren approaches the docking ramp, but halts. He turns slightly to survey the red building beyond, the _‘Reconditioning Division’,_ and the screams of the four troopers are audible to him through the Force. The muscles underneath his face twitch as he _feels_ their pain. 

Hux continues to look upon his cruel work, almost bored. 

Rage bubbles behind Ren’s eyes as they become wild. With a great effort he turns away, approaching his personal command shuttle and ordering his pilot droid FA-17 to prepare for takeoff. He slumps into a chair in his large, personal quarters, the window shuttered, wincing at pain of his own now, sharing in the torture. Upon a plinth before him sits the charred remains of a helmet - Lord Vader’s helmet. Ren stares into the blank eyeholes, conflict bubbling inside him. Memories can be heard - a voice in his ear, his beloved uncle Luke standing over him with a lit blade, the cutting words of Snoke. His own words come as a desperate plea. 

“Show me, Grandfather.” 

But there’s no answer. Desperate, Ren snaps his eyes shut, banishing the swirling voices of memory back to the recesses of his mind. Forgotten once more.

Hux approaches the upper docking of the _Finalizer_ , a two-mile long Star Destroyer flagship, in one of the six pits built to house such ships. The red sandstorm of Othkore howls around him. Below, Hux watches the four troopers file out of the _Reconditioning Division_ , joining their squadmates and boarding the huge vessel, with a satisfied sneer. 

“The greatest army ever to walk to stars has no need for undesirables” he mutters to himself. His underling from earlier approaches. 

“Failsafe successfully acquired Admiral, with a little persuasion.” Pipes up one of his aids. 

Hux’s sneer curls into a dark grimace. “Excellent. Keep on them, I want all the failsafe protocols made, tested, and at my disposal.” He gives the younger underling a firm glance. “Nobody steals my life’s work. Nobody.”

The underling nods, and Hux’s swept towards the boarding ramp. “Prepare the _Finalizer_ for lightspeed immediately.”

As he strides ahead across the boarding ramp, his white Admiral uniform can be picked out easily from below. Though many troopers face forward and await boarding in neat lines, a single Flametrooper looks up at Hux. Her face is concealed by her helmet, but her hands shake angrily. Though she is fresh from Reconditioning, it is not conformity and dedication to the Final Order that forces this reaction. 

TN-2729 shakes with rage. 


	5. Part I - The Prophecy

The mountain tunnels leading to the Resistance Outpost are with hostile activity. Squads of Stormtroopers invade each crevice with their blaster flashlights, the crackle of synthesized voices reverberating off the high tunnel walls. They are drawing close to their goal. 

Inside the warm lights of the outpost itself, a similar energy is present. Soldiers move crates and boulders to create barricades before the entrance tunnels - but there are too many to count. Scouts peer round corners with macrobinoculars, and pilots who’d finished evacuating their teams pick up blasters too. The Resistance needs every combatant they have if they are to survive the day. General Poe Dameron unholsters his blaster pistol as he shouts orders to his soldiers, before a familiar voice breaks the silence. 

“Rey!” he yells back, holding his blaster aloft and beckoning her to him. Rey strides forward, slightly ahead of her party. 

“I’m glad you’re here, we need your skills.” Says Poe. 

He points to the number of tunnels their precious few troops are now covering. 

“Stormtroopers are closing in, fast. Can you sense where they’re coming from?”

Rey grins at Poe. 

“Of course General, but Finn can do one better.” She stands aside and Finn approaches, BB-8 and AJ-2522 following close behind him. Finn is determined, if a little nervous. 

“Poe, this woman has agreed to help.” He put a hand on her shoulder. “In exchange for her freedom.”

Poe looks from Rey, to Finn, to AJ-2522, and finally to BB-8, who bleeps excitedly. He closes his eyes with tired frustration, but never reaches his prepared lecture of Finn. Rey steps in front of Poe’s scolding gaze, cutting him off. 

“Before all _that,_ I think you should hear what she has to say, General _._ ” 

Rey’s words have just the slightest hint of danger in them. The sounds of shouts and panicked evacuation can be heard behind them. Poe gives the Jedi a frustrated look, then places a hand on his hip, the other beckoning with his blaster for AJ-2522 to speak, quickly. 

“Let’s hear it then, _trooper._ ”

The last part makes Finn uncomfortable, but AJ-2522 pays it no mind, stepping forward confidently. 

“General Poe of the Resistance; I have the agreement of your subordinates for the exchange of intel for freedom, can you guarantee that? I’m not here to fight anybody's war… not anymore.” 

Poe raises an eyebrow at Finn and Rey, then sighs. 

“Help us save lives and you can run, if you want.” He narrows his eyes at her. “How do I know you’re not going to just go back to your _friends?_ ”

AJ-2522 looks past Poe at the barricading tunnels, blind terror flashing in her eyes. 

“I can’t go back. It’ll be worse than...” She trails off into silence. 

Whilst Poe is only more confused, Finn squeezes AJ-2522’s shoulder in comfort. 

“You can trust Poe, AJ-2.” He whispers to her. He’d shortened her name to give her a little push. She straightens up, eyes back on Poe. 

“The flare beacon I activated is for exclusive use when a trooper is sure they’ve found the Resistance. My garrison consists of 200 troops who will all be on their way now. If they find this place they will surround and overwhelm. Swarming is our tactic.”

Poe takes in all this information and scratches his jaw, thinking fast. He turns and calls out over the rush of soldiers. 

“Connix! Tico!”

As if summoned by magic, Rose Tico and Kaydel Connix appear from the mass of starships and troops almost immediately. Connix, a blond-haired commander, carrying several blasters she is in the process of distributing. Rose holds a datapad as she checks over every member of the Resistance. They reply in unison;

“Yes General!”

“How long until we can get out of here?” Demands Poe. 

“Not within the hour, General” replies a concerned Connix. “Most of our transports need to finish refuelling.”

Even during the rush, Rose takes a moment to nod welcomingly at AJ-2522 before answering.

“Everybody is almost back to base General, including our Scouts, but it’s taking them time to avoid detection.” Her anxiety bleeds onto her face. “We need the hour, atleast.”

Poe continues to think hard. He was foolish to hope that a full scale evacuation would be so quick. He shakes his head. No, it is never foolish to hope. But his various plans are interrupted once more; 

“Err, General, I think I have a suggestion” Pipes up AJ-2522. Poe cocks and eyebrow, and she continues. 

“If you collapse the tunnels you can trap the garrison long enough to escape.” 

When Poe, Finn, Connix, Rose, Rey and BB-8 all stare at her in confusion.

“How?” Asks Poe. “We’ll just stall the first wave, surely?”

AJ-2522 shakes her head.

“The flare beacon summons _all_ troops in my garrison, that means no backup _and_ they’re moving in one group. If you can lure them into a single tunnel, you can trap them until you escape.” 

She nods, mostly to herself than to anyone else. “It’s all in the new protocols.”

Rey grins excitedly. “And if any slip through the cracks, don’t worry, I’ll handle them.” 

Finn clasps his arms fondly around Rey and AJ-2522, his expression excitable. 

“Yes!! That’s what I’m talking about AJ-2!”

Poe nods, his mind made up. “Right follow me.”

The group of seven circle the perimeter of the base, as Poe shouts new orders. 

“Alright squads form up! We’re gonna trap these thugs in the tunnels before they get to us! Connix, divide up our thermal detonators. Rose, notify me when the last of our Scouts returns.”

“Give me five minutes General, we’ll meet you at the main tunnel.” Replies Connix, and both women rush off to work. As the group approaches one of the largest tunnels, Leia appears behind Poe, her sporting pistol by her side and her eyebrow raised. 

“It’s your plan and your soldiers, General Dameron, but are you sure this will work?”

She surveys the assembled group before her fondly, pausing on AJ-2522. “And who's our new recruit?”

Poe comes to stand next to Leia and survey AJ-2522 along with her. 

“I’m not sure if she’s on our side, but her intel is good.” He offers. 

AJ-2522 gazes at the floor anxiously. BB-8, Finn and Rey are caught between, showing concern for the scrutiny of their new companion. Finn steps forward first. 

“Poe, I know this is all very sudden, but you’ve got to understand. Everybody here in the Resistance _chose_ to be here. The majority of soldiers advancing on us now, they had _no choice_.” 

Finn’s brow furrows as painful memories of Reconditioning surface in his mind. He can hear the cries of his fellow cadets, the hum and buzz of surgical instruments, and the blank terror that followed. 

“AJ-2 and I have been… conditioned since we were kids to follow orders, and we don’t remember it, just the... fear of it. It compels you to follow orders. Despite that, she’s here, helping us.”

Leia’s disgust at the methods of the enemy is evident. She looks to Rey, who nods in somber acknowledgement of Finn’s words. Leia offers a hand toward AJ-2522. 

“It’s very brave what you’re doing,” says Leia earnestly. “Thank-you.” 

AJ-2522 takes the shake, the ghost of a smile crossing her lips. “Well, I had plenty of stubborn support getting here, Ma’am.”

Leia and Rey lock eyes knowingly. Finn, reminded of his damnation of Rey’s view of Kylo Ren, feels the squirm of guilt in his stomach. Leia and AJ-2522 break their handshake. 

“Well, lead the way, ah…” Leia pauses, having no name to address the ex-Stormtrooper by.  
“Oh it’s-” 

But AJ-2522 pauses, looking down and then ip into Finn’s. She makes a sudden and significant decision. 

“It’s _Jaytu_ , that’s my name.” 

Leia nods in acknowledgement and Rey gives her shoulder a squeeze as the group moves out. As they walk, Finn tries and fails to subdue his shame. Rey notices, cocking her head when he hesitates. To follow the group. 

“Everything alright Finn?”

Finn shakes his head in an attempt to clear it. 

“Yeah, yeah! I’m right behind you!”

He and BB-8 bring up the rear as they join the forces Connix has assembled for their counterattack. 

* * *

Jaytu’s garrison are indeed out in full force as the penetrate the mountain tunnels. A large group of Stormtroopers advances, blasters raised, searching through a large cave for enemies. Nearing the end, one Scout peers into a smaller off tunnel, looking left into the gloom, and then right, where the flashlight of their blaster illuminates the silhouette of Rey, hand raised. Before the Scout can even react, Rey utters a few words in a completely neutral tone. 

“The Resistance isn't here. They must be hiding in the main tunnel behind you.”

The Scout’s shoulders slacken, but not before two of his squadmates appear behind him. Rey raises both hands and closes her eyes, repeating her words; 

“The Resistance isn't here. They must be hiding in the main tunnel behind you.”

The Stormtroopers freeze when they see Rey, but don’t lower their blasters. Sweat appears on Rey’s brow, but she breathes, long and deep. A moment pases before their synthesized voices finally answer in unison: 

“The Resistance isn't here. They must be hiding in the main tunnel behind us.”

Swivelling drowsily on their heels, the three troopers file back into the cave behind them, shouting orders to their squadmates to follow. In the darkness of this tunnel, Rey lowers her hands, panting. Behind her, Finn, Jaytu, and BB-8 duck out of their hiding spots. 

“You think this’ll work?” Asks Finn, a little anxious. 

Rey nods confidently. “I’m sure, it’s a good plan.” 

She winks at Jaytu, who looks even more nervous. “And a good name too.” 

Jaytu grimaces, remembering what Rey had told her in the cell. 

“Thanks, I made it myself.”

Finn and Rey chuckle as the four of them rejoin the teams now surrounding the main cave. In caverns hidden near the ceiling, Resistance forces watch as red armoured Stormtroopers gather into a single cave, meeting in the middle. A few of the more senior Scouts exchange looks. 

“I thought we’d searched all the tunnels, and this was the last one?”

“That’s what I thought too!”

One of them hit another on the back of the head, scoldingly. “You idiot, why would you think that?!”

As the Stormtroopers quarrel amongst each other, Poe signals Connix and Rose. They point to sets of detonator charges above the three entrances, and indicate they are ready to go. Two other teams return and confirm they are ready too. Having moved to a ledge overlooking the entrance, Rey gives Poe the all clear too. Poe counts down on his fingers, then activates the detonator. 

The sound of exploding rock is instantaneous, shattering the entrances to each cave and blocking them with large debris. The thick crack of rock-hitting-rock drowns out the confused yells of the Stormtroopers, as each entrance is filled with boulders. ~Some of them attempt to call out over the radio for help, but there’s no answer. They wave their torches around in the dark, slowly realising they’re trapped. 

On the other side of the rubble, a cheer goes up as Poe confirms all enemy troops have been cut off. Finn turns to Jaytu, and grasps her hand. 

“Thanks,” he says with a grin. “For, you know, for not making me regret my decision.” 

Jaytu nods curtly, feeling uneasy about what will happen next. Will she go with them? Live out her life on the next planet they happen to stop at? Who knows. 

Finn hadn’t noticed Jaytu’s apprehension as he now searches for Rey. They make their way through the squads of troops before spotting her, descending from her ledge. Finn touches her shoulder, and she jumps slightly. Finn raises an eyebrow.

“Everything alright, Rey?” 

Rey’s frown indicates differently, but she nods. 

“Yeah it’s just, I can sense something… _cold_.”

With Jaytu following behind they enter the outpost once again. Though he hadn’t quite mastered his new sense, Finn engages it, but feels nothing. He looks back to Rey worriedly.

“What can you sense?” He asks quietly. 

Rey's focus intensifies, and she turns towards a tunnel snaking upwards, presumably higher into the mountain and above their base. Her expression of concern turns serious, battle-ready.

“There’s somebody else here.” She whispers. 

* * *

The circular cave the Resistance currently uses for the outpost was once a nesting station. Exogrub larvae burrow smaller tunnels to reach the top of the mountain, where their crystal diet is easier to find. Amongst one of these tunnels, high above the outpost, crouches a man wrapped in black, his vibroscythe strapped to his back; Vicrul. One hand holds his body steady as he leans out of the smaller tunnel. His other hand holds a small attachment to his crude helmet - a macroscope - as he searches through the crowd of Resistance fighters below, muttering to himself. 

“Come out, come out...”

But he doesn’t have to wait long. 

A scarlet blaster bolt flies through the air, striking the macroscope in Vicrul’s hand and sending it hurtling down into the outpost below. Vicrul raises his hands in slight surrender, and turns his helmeted head. In the semi darkness stands Rey, blaster pistol smoking, pointed right between Vicrul’s eyes. 

Vicrul moves his hand slightly towards his weapon, but a second blaster bolt whizes between his fingers and the handle.

“Don’t move,” warns Rey.

Vicrul freezes, realising his prey has come to him. Under his mask his lip curls. Rey looks him up and down with disdain. She can feel the dark-side rippling off of him like stink from a carcass, the same way she’d sensed it in Snoke, and.... Ben. 

“Who _are_ you?” Rey demands. 

The dark warrior scoffs, and straightens up to his full height. There is simply no need to lie. 

“Vicrul, of the Knights of Ren.” Comes his distorted reply. He allows the weight of his words to land on Rey, then continues. 

“It’s our sworn mission to hunt and oppose you.”

Rey frowns. This ‘Vicrul’ is being more talkative than she had imagined, being trapped with the only route escape behind her. Curious. Rey continues to probe. 

“Why hunt me?” 

Rey maintains her pistol, still steadily aimed at his helmet. The noise of Vicrul’s scoff is metallic and raw, distorted by his helm. 

“You’re a Jedi pretender aren’t you?” He replies, as though their opposition is obvious.

Rey says nothing, refusing to answer to ‘pretender’. Vicrul builds on this bruising of her ego. 

“I know you are, I can sense it in you too.” He sneers. “The delusions of grandeur, the same that brought the Jedi to its end so long ago. But we both know there’s more lies, isn't there?”

The colour suddenly drains from Rey’s face. He wasn’t talking about…? How can he know? Vicrul takes an eager step forward. 

“Yes, Master Ren told us all about _that_ . How will the precious Resistance react when they discover their brave, virtuous Jedi is just some worthless, no name, _nobo-_ ”

But before Vicrul finishes the insult, Rey squeezes the trigger. A bolt shoots towards Vicrul's head, but his reactions are on par with hers, managing to tilt his helm. The bolt ricochets, leaving a gash of singed metal, and Vicrul uses the momentary confusion to activate the smoke grenade on his belt. The dingy tunnel instantly fills with a thick black haze. 

Rey calms her frustration at both Vicrul and Ben by closing her eyes. That was reckless, and she couldn’t afford to act out like that anymore. she imagined her feelings stretching out, like a ripple on water. Sure enough, she can sense Vicrul, crouching near to the ground, unsheathing two short vibrodaggers. She aims her blaster into the smoke and fires, but he leaps into the air, soaring over her head. As he flips the blades flash in the gloom suddenly, opening two cuts on Rey’s back.

“Ahhhh!” 

Rey yells in pain but keeps her concentration, moving to thrust the pistol towards Vicrul, but he hadn’t prepared to counterattack. She sensed through the smoke, and realised he now fled up the tunnel. Why? Still with her eyes closed, Rey breaths and squeezes the trigger a second time. A bolt shoots from within the cloud of smoke, and catches Vicrul in the shoulder. His distorted yell reverberates as he turns the corner in pain, and Rey gives chase.

The tunnel twists and turns upwards as Rey’s boots pound the rocky floor, her pistol held aloft. As she runs Rey decides capturing him will yield a better outcome, but doubt creeps into her mind. What if he is right? What if her friends don’t see her like Finn does? She hadn’t told anyone what had happened That Day, not fully. She needed to appear strong for them. In her fear she imagines Leia, the strongest of all, looking at her with pity and disappointment when she finds out how truly weak Rey is… 

The Jedi shakes her head, clearing it, and calming her rising nerves. Right now, she has to focus on the task at hand. 

Up ahead, Vicrul is busy running whilst wrapping his daggers in cloth and stowing them in his coat to care about much else. He lurches up two forked pathways to throw off Rey, reaching the entrance of the tunnel. He exits into the welcome afternoon air of the mountainside, wasting no time in darting through the undergrowth towards his ship. He is nearly there. Suddenly, he feels a peculiar sensation come over him; his energy depleted and his legs becoming numb by the second. Dropping to his knees panting, he turns to see Rey at the tunnel entrance with her pistol raised. He’s been hit by a stun bolt. 

Rey raises a hand towards Vicrul, opening herself to the Force. Vicrul lifts off the ground and hurtles through the air backwards, his feeble resistance no match for Rey’s command of the Force. No! He thought, panicked. I can’t be captured! We’re so close! 

Rey’s concentration is suddenly broken by a spherical device that hurtles towards her. She leapes swiftly away as the bomb detonates, the explosion destroying the tunnel entrance she and Vicrul had appeared through. Her influence interrupted, Vicrul falls to the floor with a groan, looking up to see his partner Cardo standing over him. The tall warrior retrieves another bomb from his long coat, throwing it in Rey’s direction. 

“Get up,” Cardo commands Vicrul in disgust. “You disgrace yourself.”

“It matters not, I have what we came for!” Retorts Vicrul with relish. 

Vicrul gets to his feet and dashes away through the mountain undergrowth, fighting the numbing sensation with pure willpower. Cardo follows, still lobbing grenades towards Rey, but she’d had enough. Sprinting forward, she immersed herself in the Force, allowing her to leap and dodge away from Cardo’s bombs even before he threw them. As Cardo turns and disappears into the undergrowth behind his partner, Rey gives chase, but she is too late. 

A small, crude looking two-man fighter lifts from its hiding place amongst colourful ferns. Cardo climbs in beside Vicrul as he fires the engines, propelling the ship named _‘Talon’_ swiftly into the sky and out of Rey’s reach.

Rey watches the ship go with barely concealed frustration, the pain from her cuts becoming more prominent, and the doubts she’d put off beginning to gnaw at the edge of her mind. What had these two wanted? Why attack her then leave? And, the question that made Rey shudder as she retreated; why did his words anger her so much? She remembers who had told them her secret, and her jaw clenches. 

_Ben._

* * *

The mosaic patterns of hyperspace dance beyond the clear window of Ren’s shuttle quarters. Aboard his personal ship he has only his pilot droid and himself. After the confrontation with Ushar and Hux, he had sought the solace of his own company, to purge the soft thoughts he felt stirring once more. He had been succeeding so far, the charred helmet of his grandfather sat on a plinth, a reminder of the consequence of softness, failure. He stood with his back to it, hands held behind his back, staring through the window into hyperspace. He breathed slowly, pushing thoughts of the Jedi out of his mind to focus on his _only_ goal; rebirth. Suddenly, the sound of the ship’s engine is nullified around him. He knows this sensation now, as their bond through the Force. He doesn’t turn to look for Rey this time, he won’t. All his careful work is for nothing however, as the object of his thoughts has a will of her own. 

“I know you can hear me.” 

Rey’s chastising tone stokes molten feelings he’d just spent time repressing. She is upset about something. What? Ren dismisses these feelings and lets her words hang in the air. She doesn’t deserve his time. Did she think they were _equals?_ After what she did…?

“Look at me.” Rey demands. 

Ren turns in the direction of the voice with a cold look. Between them is the plinth holding Vader’s helmet. Her clothes are slightly dirty and sweat still glazes her chest and face. The look she affixes him with is hard to decipher. The woman he’d conversed with on Ahch-To was easy to read; anger, frustration, sadness. But the woman before him has changed. She looks into his eyes with accusation and… something else. Is it _pity_? 

“ _You_ shut _me_ out-” He pauses, wrestling with his own frustration. “-After you couldn’t accept the truth.” 

His voice is low and calm, but the ripple of anger cannot be mistaken. She left him. He offered her _everything_ and she _left him_. He turns back to the window, as though uninterested by her response. That should be enough. But Rey’s footsteps echo across the room as she comes to stand next to him, also looking out the window and the dancing lights of hyperspace. 

“A truth you’ve decided to tell your little friends.” 

So that’s what she is upset about. Ren can sense the betrayal in her voice. He’d told the Knights the version of Snoke’s death where Rey was the murderer, and that she refused to accept the truth. He drowns out a sudden bout of shame.

“After you refused, I sought aid in reforming the Galaxy.” He retorts, resentment filling his voice.

He turns away from the window and approaches the plinth holding Vader’s charred helmet. 

“They are dedicated to my mission.” He finishes, resolutely. 

“I don’t think they are.” Rey’s words are as sure as his. “They want destruction, not recreation.”

Caught off guard, Ren stutters for a moment. He is shocked she even remembered his offer, of bringing a new order to the galaxy, to create something new. A moment passes before she speaks again. 

“I don’t think you want the same thing.”

Ren growls in annoyance as Rey fails to understand him. Again. He stalks away from the plinth, meaning to leave Rey as she had left him. But her next words freeze him. 

“Ben, _wait_.”

He stops, glancing at her. She has approached the plinth, her wide brown eyes moving over the charred helmet which she holds… somehow, in her hands? Ren blinks. How is this possible? Thinking back, she had been _looking_ out the window too. Can she see, even influence his surroundings? Has their bond grown that strong? _How? Why?_

“What you said back then...” 

Rey continues, and something about her catches Ren’s attention. She’d been so resistant when they’d spoken before, hostile. But there remains none of that about her now. She is being honest, no, vulnerable. Ren conceals his surprise as he hangs on every word;

“I’ve been thinking about it alot... becoming who I’m ‘meant to be’...” 

She looks straight into his eyes now, so he knows how serious she is. 

“I’ve begun asking myself those questions too. What is it that I want?”

She trails off for a moment, as though she doesn’t have the answer yet. He understands; just asking is hard enough, but he _knows_ what he wants. She senses this too and gazes at the helmet, the symbol of all Kylo Ren compares himself to, of all he wishes to surpass. And to his surprise, a sadness that she fights to keep back everyday spills onto her face. 

“Can you say you’re doing the same?”

The sudden use of his own advice against him stuns the dark warrior. He’d expected their first conversation after the Battle of Crait to be hostile, full of shouting and accusations, but Rey has come in peace, having done some introspection of her own. He hadn’t prepared for this, and his silence told her so. Ren bristles, trying to regain his composure once again and purge himself of doubt. Of course he knows what he wants, his mission is so clear! It had been clear when he had offered for her to share in it, all those months ago. So why then had she shut him out? She watches him sway in silence, wrestling with emotions inside himself. She is waiting for an answer he can’t give. Yet. She averts her gaze, understanding but disappointed at the same time. She returns the helmet to the plinth, and voices the last thing she’s wanted to tell him for months. 

“It was good advice, so… _thanks._ ” 

Her voice is low, vulnerable, a ghost of a smile crossing her lips. Like all that she’s said in the last few minutes, Ren is astonished. Why is she thanking him? Is she trying to confront the truth about her past? Is she finally listening to him? Will she finally…join him?

The appearance of this thought, this hope, is enough to strike fear into the heart of Kylo Ren. He wrenches his eyes away from hers and moves towards the door, sure this time. He’s already been vulnerable before her, and he’d ended up more alone than ever before. Just the thought of it brought sharp, painful breaths to his chest. He activates the door panel and leans against it, breathing hard against the loneliness. He can’t afford to hope, not again, not risking such crushing loss. He slumps forward as the turmoil inside him reaches a breaking point. Watching him deal with so much, Rey does the only thing she can think of. 

She reaches out.

The warmth of her hand on his shoulder makes Ren freeze. It’s a soft, calm squeeze of her fingers, the simplest expression of support. Ren can’t think of the last time somebody touched him like this, with such gentle care. And then her hand is gone, and the sound of the ship around him returns to his awareness. 

Though she is gone, Ren whirls around to look for her. 

Minutes seem to pass as he breathes heavily, staring at the spot she’d stood in, mind racing, but one thought keeps bobbing to the surface: They hadn’t been that close since… since… 

Ren’s melancholy thoughts are interrupted by the flat tone of his pilot droid through his ship’s commlink.

“Vicrul on comms, Master.”

Ren regains some of his artificial composure. He stomps over to a holotable to his right. 

“Put him through.” He orders the droid.

“Yes, Master.” 

He stands taller, dismissing the obvious relaxation he’d felt around Rey. A live holofeed of Vicrul’s head appears, and he immediately speaks through muffled static. 

“I have it Master, I have her blood!”

Ren’s squints at Vicrul, deep in thought. He’ll have his prophecy, he’ll have his vengeance, he’ll finally have everything he wants. _Almost_ everything. 

“Bring it to me,” Kylo Ren commands. 

* * *

Rose Tico darts excitedly through the rushing throng of pilots and troopers, datapad in hand and rolling droid companion BB-8 at her side, before finding who she’s looking for. 

“Everyone is accounted for, General, and we’re all fuelled up.” 

Standing atop a stack of boxes, Poe had been hurriedly shouting orders and pointing people around. Relief breaks across his face as he hears Rose’s words. 

“Thank the stars, alright!” He claps a hand on Rose’s shoulder as he passes her and raises his voice. “Everyone fire-up and let's get moving on my mark!”

Poe dashes towards the front of the fleet, engines activating around him as X-Wings, A-Wings, B-Wings, and Y-Wings roar to life. He reaches the front consisting of three ships; the large cruiser flagship ( _‘Craitstar’_ ), a battered corellian freighter ( _‘The Millenium Falcon’_ ) and a large UT-62D ‘U-Wing’ transport - his own ship, decorated in the Resistance colours of orange, blue, and green.

Poe checks the fuel line of his ship, being tended to be an ancient looking droid. Behind him, Finn chivvies younger recruits into their transports, some of them as young as he was. Jaytu brings up the rear, and Finn clasps her hand in welcome before sending her off.

“I’m only hitching a ride with you before I’m off on my own!” Shouts Jaytu over her shoulder. 

Finn, a bizarre feeling of _déjà vu_ washing over him, nods loftly. “Of course you are.”

Jaytu manages a smirk before hurrying off to follow the rest of the newbies into the bowels of the Craitstar, which is transporting non-combatants. Finn turns and sees Poe in his natural habitat; fussing over a ship. Finn is in his element guiding new recruits but, as he draws closer to Poe, he becomes suddenly nervous. Finn straightens his jacket fussily and clears his throat. 

“So… got a name for her yet?” Finn asks. 

Poe notices Finn and smiles wide, joining his side to look upon his new ship. 

“Yeah no, I’m not very good at naming things.” Poe admits. 

Finn scrunches his face in disbelief and laughs. “Well that’s wrong, you named _me_ didn’t you _?_ ”

Poe closes his eyes and grins, caught out. “Ha, you’re right there bud.” 

He sneaks a look up and down Finn before walking forward. “Come on, let’s get her fired up.”

Poe maneuvers into the cockpit and activates switches and toggles, powering the ship up. Finn is mesmerised; Poe has restored the entire ship to working order, buttons and screens light up like a celebration before two captain seats. 

There’s awe in Finn’s eyes as he admits; “It’s beautiful Poe.”

A boyish grin crosses Poe’s face as he dusts off leather pilots chairs, proud of himself. 

“Makes a nice change, right? No more single seater journeys for me.” 

He is of course talking about the old X-Wing he used to fly, but Finn senses the hint of a second meaning. He approaches the second piloting chair, watching as Poe moves his fingers across dials, plucking up his courage. 

“So… do you need a co-pilot?” Finn asks tentatively. 

Poe glances at him, doubtfully. “Finn, buddy, I’m the best pilot we got! I can fly this thing with my eyes closed!” Poe goes back to completing the startup sequence, and Finn flinches at the sting of rejection. He masks it with a smile.

“Right! Of course? Obviously.” Finn pats the top of the captain seat, almost scathingly. “Nevermind.” 

Finn backs out of the ship’s hull. Poe shoots a look of confusion at his back, before realisation breaks over him. How could he be so stupid? Cursing under his breath and throwing the hydrospanner he’d been using to the ground, Poe chases after Finn. 

“Wait, Finn, wait! Do you mean... _you_?” 

Finn walks curtly towards the _Millennium Falcon_ before pausing _._ Rose was atop it, waist-deep in the interior of a removed hull panel, talking back and forth with Chewie and Rey in the cockpit. Finn turns, straightening his jacket - Poe’s jacket - and summoning his fake smile once more. 

“Hey, it’s fine, you’ve got your thing, that’s cool.” But there is no sincerity in Finn’s voice. Thankfully, Poe gets this too. 

“No, if you mean _you_ then of course, I’d love you to be my, err co-pilot!” 

Poe stutters, trying to find the correct way to articulate his feelings. “You know, we’re a great team, and I definitely need somebody, there, you know?”

Finn raises an eyebrow, unconvinced. “A team? Like equals, co- _captains_?” 

Poe becomes very aware of his own sweat. 

“Yes, yes, co-captains, right!” He replies panicked, desperately drawing Finn into a one-armed hug and indicating between the two of them. “Me and you, co-captains, like old times, in my-no- _our_ ship. Sound good?”

Finn, who’d been secretly satisfied with just watching Poe chase after him, stroked his chin in mock contemplation. 

“Hmmmm.” 

His face broke into his classic smile, enjoying Poe’s desperation. “Of course I’ll be your co-captain, Poe.”

“Yesss, great, I’m glad!” Poe shakes Finn’s shoulders, relieved. “Come on, let’s get her all fired up.” They reenter the U-Wing together, but unbeknownst to them, their conversation had an audience. 

The U-Wing joins the chorus of engines as it’s two captains prepare to fly at a moment’s notice, but the _Falcon_ stays worryingly silent. Chewie roars from inside the cockpit: the old ship has encountered another engine malfunction. Whilst Chewie tries profusely to jumpstart the freighter, Rose and Rey have hurriedly clamber atop the hull. The young technician wades through a jumble of exposed cables with tools in hand, wary of the little time they have before take-off. Rey, however, has noticed Finn and Poe. 

“It’s like watching two awkward kids!” Scoffs Rey. 

Rose pops her head out of the hull of the _Falcon_ for a moment, noticing Finn and Poe inside the U-Wing, and giggles before returning to her repairs. 

“Do you think there’s anything we can do to _nudge_ them?” Rose replies as she works. 

Rey sighs. “No, I think they’ll work it out sooner or later, just very clumsily.” 

Rose holds out a hydrospanner and Rey swaps it for a welding torch. Rose resumes repairing the _Falcon’s_ wiry guts, making quick work of several exposed panels. 

“When did he tell you about it?” Rey asks, curious. 

“He didn’t have to tell me,” says Rose knowingly. “I knew from the way they looked at each other.” 

Rey impersonates Poe by overtly fluttering her eyelashes at an invisible Finn, prompting Rose to resume her giggles. Rose finishes her work and Rey hoists her up onto the hull of the _Falcon_. 

“Try again Chewie!” Rey calls out, muffled wookie mumblings greeting her. As they wait, Rose shuffles closer to Rey. 

“Wanna know a secret?” She whispers. 

Rey cocks an eyebrow, interested. Rose’s cheeks turn slightly pink. 

“I kissed Finn once!” 

This time Rey’s look of surprise is genuine. “ _Really?_ I thought you were just friends!” 

Rose chuckles at Rey’s reaction, nodding along. “Yeah we’re so close now, but about a year ago I made a move!”

A garbled shout comes from the cockpit - Chewie still can’t get the engine to start. Both women move to a different spot to check on, smiling cheekily between them. 

“You better not tell Poe that!” Rey whispers, amusing Rose as they weld more wiring on the _Falcon’s_ back. Sparks kick up as they work quickly. 

“Try that Chewie!” Rey calls a second time. She’s worried they’ll keep the entire fleet behind at this rate. Whilst Rey surveys the other starships with growing unease Rose gazes at her, considering a question in her mind.

“Rey?” She inquired. “Is there anyone you want to… you know…”

It is Rey’s turn to blush. 

_“...Kiss?!”_ The young Jedi replies in a hushed voice, as though cursing. Her seeming embarrassment amuses Rose.

“Yeah! Is there someone?”

Rey’s cheeks glow as her thoughts begin to drift. She wishes the _Falcon_ would start, but…. She trusts Rose. 

“...I think so.” She finally admits. “Maybe.”

“Oh!” Rose claps her greasy hands in surprise and leans closer to Rey, desperate for details. 

“Who? Who is it!?” 

But Rey answers with only a smile, tinged with sorrow. The revving of the _Falcon’s_ engine fills the silence between then before Rose realises who Rey means. Rose knows little of Rey’s connection to Kylo Ren, and had not expected this. The moment of hesitation passes as Rose decides that her only concern is Rey’s distress. She grips Rey’s hand with her own and squeezes. 

“I’m sorry Rey, I didn’t mean-”

But the young Jedi shakes her head, banishing the sorrow once more. 

“It’s alright! it’s complicated, just...” Rey stutters. “He’s not ready. Not yet.” 

“That’s because he’s going through _alot_ ,” retorts Rose flatly. “You both are.”

Rey looks at her, confused. She never heard such an outlier statement about Ben like this before. Most of the people she’d talked to about this had at least met him, but Rose knew only what Rey had told her. The technician just shrugs at Rey’s look of confusion.

“Rey, I don’t know anything about the Force but I know _people_ . What happened in that throne room - when the time came, you stood by eachother. Even if you’ve both made mistakes, things holding you back... that _means_ something right? That’s what I’d look for in someone!”

Rose chuckles to herself, trying to defuse the tension. 

“All I’m saying is-” 

But Rose notices something by her foot - a thrust pressure cable has become detached. She nudges it back into place with her boot and the _Falcon’s_ sublight engines roar to life. Chewie’s roar of triumph comes from the cockpit and both Rey and Rose yell in unison. Rose indicates to the now solved problem and finishes her advice;

“...Maybe it’s simpler than you think.”

Rose clambers down from the _Falcon’s_ hull, and waits for Rey at the boarding ramp. Rey leaps down elegantly, following Rose towards the cockpit at speed. They pass the communal space, the walls of which have become infested with nests of porgs. 

“Thanks Rose.” Says Rey quietly. 

Rose nods, her ponytail bobbing up and down as they take their seats in the cockpit next to Chewie, who is flicking switches dutifully. 

“I’m sure he’ll find some way to show you how he-”

Rose gasps loudly, staring at Rey’s shoulder. 

“Is that blood?”

The cuts Vicrul had given Rey she’d hastily bandaged, but they’d started to weep with fresh blood. Rey opens her mouth to make an excuse but giggling Rose has been replaced by angry medic Rose. 

“Shut up and _hold still!_ ”

Rose retrieves batca spray from the medpac on her belt, treating Rey’s wounds with quick proficiency. The _Falcon_ ready to fly, Chewie lets out a low, enquiring growl. Rey tries to answer but Rose overrides her once more; 

“Rey went off and got injured and didn’t tell anybody!” 

“I know, I know, it won’t happen again!” Rey sighs as Chewie waves his arms at her in frustration.

“Who did this to you anyway?” Rose inquires. “A Stormtrooper?”

Rey’s expression turns dark. “No. They called themselves a ‘Knight of Ren’, two of them.”

The word ‘Ren’ freezes Rose. “Did… _he_ send them?” She whispers. 

The sadness creeps back into Rey’s eyes, and she avoids the question. 

“I don’t know, but they moved like me, like a Jedi, they’re dangerous.” 

She thinks back on what Vicrul had told her, and what the two Knights had said to each other. 

“I think they were after me, but I don’t know why.”

She trails off, wondering if this was Ben’s doing. The thought of a person so powerful they can hunt Jedi sends a shiver down Rose’s spine. She’d sooner stick to the life of healing, maintenance, and the occasional blaster fight. What scared her the most is Rey fears them too. Rey's search for a subject change is interrupted by a muffled _BOOM_. Rey swivels in her chair to look at Chewie. 

“Is that the signal?”

But Poe’s distorted voice erupts over their cockpit commlink in answer. 

_“ All squads, cut your engines and await orders. Commanders, report to the bridge of the Craitstar. We’ve got a situation!_ ” 

The crew of the _Falcon_ look at one another anxiously. Chewie’s low growl probably means he has a bad feeling about this. 

Miles away high above them, a large triangular shadow creeps over the sunbathed flora of Brentaal IV. The _Finalizer_ , having jumped from lightspeed, now descends close to the surface of the planet, kicking up gusts of dust and causing boulders to tremble. Aboard the bridge stands Admiral Hux, looking down at the various mountains and forests with cruel determination. 

“Do not stop until you have found them. Search every cave, every crevice.” Hux orders.

A spew of large grey trooper transports spill from the _Finalizer’s_ flank, accompanied by sharp looking starfighters, whose triangular, solar panel wings cut through the air like knives - _TIE Daggers._ The fleet of starships descend upon the surface of Brentaal IV like a swarm of locusts. 

Miles below the surface, the inner cave housing the Resistance outpost rumbles as the scream of TIE daggers can be heard overhead. Poe and his commanding officers gathered inside the primary command bridge of the hammerhead flagship _Craitstar_ . Being only a light-corvette, the quarters are cramped, just about accommodating the dozen or so commanding staff; Major Snap Wexley of Black Squadron, accompanied by his fellow commanders of Cobalt, Razor, Comet, and Shell fighter squads and Captain of the _Craitstar_ Nien Nunb to top off the naval captains. Colonel Terez, a tall and imposing Theelin woman in her late 40s, sits with her arms crossed atop her dual pistols. Three short horns protruded either side of her pink-skinned head, and she is surrounded by her army commanders; Connix, Finn, Rose, and a handful of others. Everyone is slightly on edge. Rey however remains calm, standing beside advisors Leia and Chewbacca. General Dameron activates the holotable, and the chatter around him instantly dies. 

“Alright everyone listen up.”

The following holoimage doesn’t ease anybody's nerves. A three-mile radius of Brentaal IV is displayed, including the mountain they now hid underneath marked by the Resistance insignia. Above, a triangular obelisk representing the _Finalizer_ looms, with markers showing TIE Daggers and Stormtroopers approaching them rapidly.

“Our escape just became a whole lot more complicated.”

“How did they find us?!” Major Snap Wexley looks frustrated at the timing of this ambush. “We shut down the garrison! They can’t have known.”

Rose plucks up her courage to speak. “The beacon we intercepted earlier could be more wide reaching…?” But Poe waves his hand impatiently. 

“The ‘how’ doesn’t matter right now. That Star Destroyer can track us if we jump to lightspeed.” 

He squints at Rose. “Is there any chance we can stop that from happening?” 

Rose scratches the back of her head, thinking fast. “I’m working on something, but… it’s not ready yet.” 

Rose pulls a curious device from her bag and holds it up: a crudely made circular datapad with a silver toothed slicing key lodged in one side.

“From what we’ve learned of hyperspace tracking, a jammer like this uses a pirate frequency to slice us out of the tracker’s range.... but so far? I’ve only been successful with blocking basic scans, like starfighter targeting computers. Star Destroyers are just too big.”

Rose fiddles with the jammer, apologetically. 

"I’m sorry General, the only options we have are to shut it down or be out of range.”

“That’s alright, Rose,” replies Poe. _“ How far_ out of range?”

“About a mile from the Destroyer.” He confirms. 

Poe clicks his fingers as an idea comes to him. He looks immediately to Rey, who is already grinning. 

“It’s ready, we can do it!” She answers, without giving context. “We’ll need to keep the Destroyer from catching up though.”

Whilst Rey and Poe bounce off each other, Finn examines the holomap of moving troops. Three squadrons of Stormtroopers move towards one of the tunnels leading down into the mountain, too close for comfort. A spark goes off in his mind too.

“ _It’s all in the new protocols,_ just like Jaytu said!” 

Finn gets the attention of Rey and Poe, who are still discussing their exit strategy. “Poe, this’ll help. Just as we did with Jaytu’s garrison, we trap them.”

Poe frowns at the mention of Jaytu. “I’m not sure Finn, are you sure she told us _everything?_ Maybe she planned this?” But Finn shakes his head. 

“No no, what I mean is, we lure and trap them down here, they tell their boss and the Destroyer won’t leave the mountain!” He clasps his hands on Poe’s shoulder. “It’s all in the new protocols!”

Poe glances at Rey who nods in encouragement, then to Leia who raises a surprised eyebrow. The Rebellion specialised in tricking the Empire back in the day, and he’d been used to that so far, but this drastically improves their odds of success. Poe is swayed. 

“Alright! Chewie, lead the demolition teams to the remaining tunnels, leaving only the one ahead of us, and dowse the lights. The rest of you, get back to your ships and get ready for a takeoff.”

All gathered move in unison. Finn, Rey, and Rose catch Poe’s eye as he nods in determination. 

“And may the Force be with us!”

* * *

Lieutenant Quonit approaches Admiral Hux with a nervous gait, stopping just shy of Hux’s reach. The white uniformed Admiral halts his pacing, looking up threateningly. 

“My patience is faltering Lietnanant, what have you found?”

The young Quonit gulps. 

“O-one of the squad leaders thinks they’ve found the base,” he says tentatively, as though one wrong word will cause Hux to explode like a bomb. The Admiral rolls his eyes. 

“My Stormtroopers are not conditioned to _think_ they are conditioned to _do,_ ” he sneers, more to himself. “Get me on comms.”

Deep in a ravine near the base of the mountain a squad of Stormtroopers advance, led by two flametroopers. One of them lifts their wrist to answer a bleeping call on their gauntlet comm. Hux’s distorted voice is heard.  
“TN-2729, be quick.”

The flametrooper stands a little straighter, an almost emotionless tone in her voice. 

“Yes, Admiral. We’ve found an irregularity that suggests the Resistance are hiding nearby.” 

Two of TN-2729’s squad examine a large blackened shadow on the sandy floor, where the Scout Trooper met his end at the hands of Rose a few hours earlier. 

“Permission to advance with all squads Admiral.”

Up in the _Finalizer_ , Hux’s lip curls. Let’s see Ren’s face when he throws the defeat of the Resistance at his feet, and more…

“Permission granted. All squads convene at TN-2729’s location. Swarm and overwhelm the Resistance!”

A look mirroring the apathetic boredom he’d shown at the _Reconditioning Division_ passes over his eyes. “Failure will be met with Reconditioning. Do not fail!”

TN-2729 shudders for a moment before she lowers her arm and hoists her incinerator rifle before her, advancing alongside her scarlet-armoured fellows into the gloom of the mountain tunnel maze. The tunnels give way to large caves, which they search with their rifle-mounted torches. Soon a dozen more squads join their search, the caverns now invaded by more than a hundred troopers. Their mechanised voices and radio chatter bounce off the walls, though they do not see the faint blinking lights of active thermal detonators lining the entrance. 

Inside the Resistance outpost, Poe and Finn stand atop the U-Wing in near darkness, the lights extinguished. Finn watches through his macrobinoculars as distant torchlights flicker beyond the far tunnels. 

“Poe...”

But General Dameron's face is scrunched in absolute determination. The moment these bombs go off the fleet will move, so he can’t be off, not by a second. 

“Wait.” 

Back in the caverns, a trooper climbs above a heap of rocks, shining his light into the pile and listening. They can hear a faint voice over their radio.

“Captain!” The trooper calls over their shoulder. “The garrison are in here, they’re trapped!”

TN-2729 activates her commlink. “Admiral! They’re here!”

On the bridge of the _Finalizer,_ Hux narrows his watery eyes, tasting victory. 

“Take them out.” He commands.  
“Leave them!” TN-2729 instructs the troopers investigating the collapsed caves. “Spread out! Overwhelm the Resistance! Shoot anything that moves!” 

Finn looks to Poe, alarm in his eyes. Poe grits his teeth as enemy torch light approaches them. 

“ _Wait_....”

A single trooper turns the corner of the nearest tunnel, shining light upon the fleet sitting in darkness. The trooper barely opens their mouth before - 

_“NOW!”_

All is rubble, smoke, and dust as explosives erupt in the tunnel roof, blocking the Stormtroopers exit, and hidden concussion grenades engulf TN-2729 and her troops in a red pulse of energy. The flametrooper drops her rifle and hits the floor, hands over her helmeted head as her senses are assaulted. 

“GO! GO! GO!” Yells Poe. 

The _Millennium Falcon’s_ engines explode into life as it surges forward into the largest tunnel, closely followed by the Craitstar and each squadron of starfighters. Poe and Finn watch them go from the cockpit of the U-Wing and, as the last B-Wing zooms past them, they engage their thrusters and follow into the gloom of the largest tunnel.

TN-2729 manages to get to her feet and watch Poe and Finn’s U-Wing disappear into the tunnel, leaving an abandoned outpost. There is genuine panic in her voice when she shouts into her comm;

“The Resistance fleet is on the move! I repeat, the Resistance fleet is on the move!”

Hux listens intently to the comm broadcast on the _Finalizer_ bridge, but all that reverberates around the walls is muffled static. 

“What’s happening down there?!” He looks from one scared aide to the other, finding no answers. “Did they find them?”

In one of the sunken workstations, a seated technician swivels on his chair, looking up at Hux. 

“Sir, something seems to be disrupting communication with our squads, but it’s _not_ being jammed!” The technician’s eyes flicker back and forth under the brim of his cap, searching for a solution. “There might be an environmental disturbance.”

Hux’s pale skin shones with sweat. 

“Nobody moves until we find out what’s happening and find out NOW!” He screams. “We _cannot_ lose the Resistance!” 

The _Finalizer_ glides through the atmosphere, now hovering directly above the mountain, scanning for any and all life forms. TIE Daggers circle a wide perimeter in pairs. Far from the _Finalizer,_ two Daggers pass over a huge hole the exogrubs dug earlier, led by Rey. They barely pass over it before a ship shoots out of the hole, knocking them off course. One of the Dagger pilots manages to steady themselves, and catches a glimpse of the ship that buffeted them; the _Millenium Falcon_ . The TIE pilot activates his commlink, but is buffeted again by a stream of ships appearing from the tunnel - _it’s the Resistance!_

“All squads, c-come in!” The TIE pilot stutters as his ship cartwheels through the air. “North-East! The Resistance are making a run for it!” 

The _Falcon_ steams ahead, skimming the surface of another mountain before heading upwards for the atmosphere. Rose, Chewie and Rey are in the cockpit, pushing the old freighter to the limit of it’s speed. Whilst Rey and Chewie drive, Rose shouts into her headset commlink.

“Ignore enemy fighters and just keep following us! As long as we stay out of the vicinity of that Star Destroyer, we’ll be able to escape! Be prepared to jump at a moment's notice!”

Inside the bridge of the _Craitstar_ , Captain Nien Nunb and Leia Organa operate the ship's controls, the huge ship soars just behind the _Falcon._ C3-PO waves his hands in the air as their large ship accelerates. 

“I-I’m all for escaping, but this is just ludicrous!”

R2 bleeps a rebuttal of excitement over him, and Leia replies into her comm. 

“We’re with you Rose, lead the way.”

The starfighters that follow the Craitstar remain in formation, making a line of ships behind the _Falcon_ , now lifting away from the surface of Brentaal IV. But the element of surprise has been lost. From the bridge of the _Finalizer_ , Hux is watching the band of ships escape in the distance as the hulking Star Destroyer turns to face them, but too slow. Many expect Hux to divulge into flustering screams, but his face has drained of all colour. For the first time, the prospect of execution crosses the mind of Armitage Hux. His panicked rage is realised as choked commands spill from his lips. 

“All fighters! B-Bring them down! _NOW!_ ” 

As the Star Destroyer starts to lurch in the direction of the Resistance, a slurry of winged fighters gather behind the escaping fleet, peppering them with green ion bolts. A handful of Resistance starfighters take damage, but they aren’t worried for long. 

“Time to break up the parade!” Comes a confident voice over Resistance comms. 

The orange and blue colours of Poe’s U-Wing jet from the tunnel at incredible speed. The ship's wings fully extend outwards, charging towards the gathering of TIE Daggers now chasing the Resistance. With a rolling maneuver, Poe manages to hook the enemy fighters with his wings and twist in the air, sending several flying off course and disorientating the rest as he bullies them out of the sky. 

“Hahaha!!” Yells an exhilarated Finn, seated beside Poe in the U-Wing cockpit. “We ready yet?!” 

Poe’s concentration is completely focused on maneuvering the ship as Finn maintains the shields. Poe gives him a quick side glance. 

“Almost. Let me ditch these thugs and put us ahead, get ready.”

Finn nods and pulls the crude circular jammer Rose had shown them earlier from his jacket. 

“Rose are you sure this will work?” Finn shouts into his commlink. 

Back in the  _ Falcon, _ Rose’s face is both anxious and sweaty. 

“I hope so, I mean I think-” 

Before she can finish, Rey shoots her a look and shouts; “It’ll work! Believe in yourself,  _ dummy!” _

Rose stares at Rey, the use of her favourite insult touching her heart momentarily. She nods, and her voice is full of calm determination as she replies. 

“It’ll work, we’re almost there!”

The  _ Falcon _ breaks through the layers of cloud and the blue sky fades into the familiar blanket of stars. The Resistance Fleet rises, but a gaggle of TIE Daggers still pursues. Even further behind them, the  _ Finalizer  _ causes gusts of dust to billow as it’s engines engage, pushing it’s bulky hull slowly in pursuit. The point of Hux’s noise is all but pressed to the window of the bridge as he watches the distant ships disappear beyond the clouds. How could they have fooled him like this?!

“I want them dropping out of the sky!” He turns and points to a communication technician in the workstation pit. “Any pilots that are not  _ firing constantl _ y will face Reconditioning! I want the Resistance dead and I want it  _ NOW!” _

An eruption of green ion energy shoots straight for the Resistance fleet. The U-Wing takes the most hits, but still speeds ahead. In the cockpit, Finn looks flustered. 

“Shields are holding Poe, but-”

“Wait for it...”

The U-Wing’s manages to outclass the TIE horde, pulling ahead and catching up with the rest of the fleet with abnormal speed. 

“Alright, now!” Shouts Poe. 

Finn turns the silver key on the side of the jammer, and it activates with a  _ PING! _ Instantly, an invisible wave emanates from the U-Wing hitting friend and foe ships alike. In the interior of Resistance starfighters, tracking dials go blank, and some show looks of concern. 

“Everyone keep your eyes ahead,” came Finn’s reassuring voice. “Our tracking may be dead but just keep following Rose and get ready to jump!”

Finn now looks right out of the U-Wing’s viewing port, and grins triumphantly. 

“It worked Rose! It worked! I wish you could see this!”

Behind the fleet, enemy blaster fire becomes amateurish at best, with streams of bolts and missiles completely missing. Without their targeting systems, enemy pilots cannot lock on and attack with their weapons. Rockets and other energy blasts are shot at random, but none hit home. Hux watches this unfold with eyes wide. 

“How long until we’re in hyperspace tracking range?!” He spits at one of his aides, who quivers in their boots. 

“T-thirty seconds sir.”

Now panicking, some of the TIE Daggers let off homing missiles, but Rose’s slicing key is too strong. The missiles spiral out of control and hit friendly TIEs, left and right, and chaos ensues.

The _Falcon_ finally breaches the atmosphere, and Rey puts her hand on the lightspeed lever, looking to Rose, who repeats into her comm; “Everybody get ready!”

Rey slams her hand down on the lever with a determined grin and Chewie roars in triumph. 

_“ NOW!_ ”

Thirty different engines take a deep breath, and jet into hyperspace. Poe and Finn take one last look at their pitiful pursuers and punch it, disappearing into the twisting realm of lightspeed with a shared victorious grin.

As the U-Wing disappears into the folds of space, Hux’s patience finally cracks. His screeching yell is followed by dead silence aboard the bridge of the _Finalizer_. Hux pants in panic, then manages to get his breathing under control. His eyes are red with danger as he spits his next words. 

“All active troopers and pilots will be sent to Reconditioning. _All of them!”_

Deep in the tunnels of the abandoned outpost, a mountain of rubble is disturbed as TN-2729 and her squad push through the rocks, managing to escape into the sunlight. TN-2729’s commlink lights up and Hux’s distorted voice can be heard. 

“All of you have failed, and will suffer the consequences of non-conformity.”

TN-2729’s vision sways as she shudders at these words. No. Anything but Reconditioning. Her squadmates look at each other in panic. Hux’s voice interrupts. 

“Retreat to your ships immediately and return to the _Finalizer._ We will be jumping to hyperspace to pursue the Resistance immediately.”

Aides and officers look at each other in muted confusion around the bridge. Hux’s aide has courage to spare, and peaks up in a small voice; 

“B-but sir, we don’t have their location.”

Hux turns on his heel to face those gathered aboard the bridge, raising his voice to address them all. 

“Then we will _find it._ Nobody leaves their station, nobody eats, nobody sleeps until this mission is successful. Is that clear?”

Hux manages to contain his panic but the effects still linger. Sweat dampens his hair and brow, his eyes bulging dangerously. 

None meet his gaze as they all reply, in unison. “Yes, Admiral!”

* * *

Way out in space, surrounded by no planets or satellites, the Resistance safely exits hyperspace. This tactic has been used plentifully to ward off tracking, and comes to their benefit once again. Many of the starfighters dock and board the cramped halls of the _Craitstar,_ but the mood is triumphant. Once again, against all odds, they’ve escaped. 

A merry gathering takes place aboard the command bridge. Poe has learned that celebrating victories with his soldiers, however brisk, is key in keeping up morale. He pulls Snap into a one-armed hug, before he sees his new co-pilot enter the room. 

“There he is!”

Much unlike their first meeting so long ago, there is genuine kinship in their embrace now. Finn ruffles Poe’s shaggy head of hair as he laughs, thumping Finn in the chest. 

“What a team huh?!”

Finn prods a finger into Poe’s shoulder. “How’d you make her go so fast?!”

Poe waves a hand. 

“Ahh it’s easier to focus on speed when your co-pilot has both shields and arms covered.” He lowers his voice slightly. 

“And I made some _personal_ modifications. Don’t tell Rose, she wouldn’t approve.” 

Finn doubts Rose will care that much, but still he laughs. Rose, however, has spotted someone standing hesitantly beyond the outskirts of the rabble. Rose approaches her fellow introvert. 

“You should be proud.”

Jaytu, deep in thought, jumps at Rose’s words. 

“Huh? P-proud of what?”

Rose leans against the wall next to her, and gestures around to the surrounding Resistance members gathered on the bridge. 

“You made a choice, and these people are alive because of you!”

Jaytu smiles in acknowledgment, but guilt skirms in her stomach. A memory surfaces, but she pushes it down, looking away from the bright smiles. Rose wrongly assumes it’s nerves. 

At a smaller holotable, Leia privately enjoys the moment of success, but her mind keeps working as it always has. She reopens up communication between planets, appearing as a large holo of their immediate area in space. She and R2, stationed beside her, scroll through older abandoned bases that could be their next spot to fortify. Rey approaches from behind, holdin her arms behind her and examining the planets close. 

“I see my tinkering worked!”

Leia acknowledges her with a welcome nod. “Yes we’ve got quite a few replies back, and intel on abandoned bases for us to use.” She looks away from the holotable and examines Rey, whose mood seems to have improved from earlier. “Looks like you took my advice.”

Rey looks at Leia in surprise. She has been feeling plenty better since opening up to Finn and Rose, but how does Leia know? This is met with only a knowing look from Leia, as if to say _“How do you think I know?”_. Rey should have guessed; The Force really is powerful, more than she’ll probably ever know. 

The memory of That Day still remains buried in Rey’s mind, but she no longer ignores it. That’s a huge step. Leia pats her on the shoulder assuringly. Between these two, it seems, not even words have to be exchanged. When Leia withdraws her hand, however, it’s peppered with red. 

“Rey! You’re-” But Rey waves a hand. “It’s nothing, Rose has seen to it! Must have opened up whilst piloting.” 

Rey’s mask of indifference reminds Leia painfully of her younger self. 

“Who did this?” Asks Leia. 

Rey doesn’t answer. Her face is suddenly hard as stone, suddenly appearing far older than a woman in her early twenties. 

“Ben really is amongst monsters, isn’t he?” 

Leia looks away, shame creeping in. “Yes.”

Rey grimaces. 

“They’re Jedi hunters. They’ll come for us.” Rey’s breath catches in her throat. “They’ll come for _me._ ”

Leia so desperately wants to help this poor girl, but there is a difference between what one _wants_ to hear, and what one _needs_ to hear. As she always did, Leia chooses the harder road - of belief.

“And if they do, _we’ll_ be here to defend you. We all will.” 

But Rey isn’t so sure. Vicrul’s words echo around the happy smiles of all gathered on the bridge;

_'How will the precious Resistance react when they discover their brave, virtuous Jedi is just some worthless, no name, nobody?’_

“If they knew the truth,” Rey whispers. “I’m not sure they would.”

Rey crosses her arms and leans on the holotable, meaning to sink slowly into a familiar wrap of solitude. Leia taps her cane sharply across Rey’s head. 

“Ow!” Rey exclaims, loud enough to make 3PO jump beside her. “What was that for?!” 

But Leia points a ringed finger at her. 

“You listen to me! Being a Jedi is not a birthright, it is not about who you are _born as_ , it is how you _choose_ to live. I should know-” She straightens her long coat. “I turned it down.”

Rey is distracted from her pain by this revelation, looking at Leia with eyes full of confusion. 

“Why?”

Leia laughs at Rey’s incredulous look. “Because _this_ is who I am. I’m a leader, a wife,-” she pauses for a moment. “...a mother. It is something you _choose_. That’s all that matters. To be better, to be true to what you want. Doesn’t matter how old you are, or how far gone you believe you are. There’s always a choice.”

And suddenly, they’d circled back to Ben. Rey felt the weight of responsibility lift, even for a moment, when she remembers their pact to save him. She isn’t alone. Both women relax somewhat, as Poe’s voice carries across the room. 

“Yeah, alright, alright, settle down, let’s hear it one final time of Commander Tico, who navigated us safely out of there _and_ scrambled enemy weapons!”

A roar of approval and applause goes up as Rose’s cheeks burn red. Finn claps her on the shoulder with his winning grin.

“Right!” Poe continues. “The next step you should all know well; we get our roots down, fortify, and continue recruiting. The intelligence division has some leads on a potential new outpost, all uninhabited, so we can-” 

But he is interrupted by a quieter voice trying to talk over him. Pilots, soldiers, and technicians look at one another for the source of the noise, before parting ways to reveal Jaytu, still with her back to the wall. She is looking through the crowd at Poe, a mix of anxiety and terror plastered over her face. 

“Y-you can’t hide anymore.”

Finn steps forward in concern but is stopped by Poe, his relaxed expression replaced by one of arresting offence. His voice echoes his distaste. “We’re not ‘hiding’, we’re _surviving_ , we’re _rebuilding._ ” But Jaytu only shakes her head. 

“You can’t. Not anymore.”

There’s real anger in Poe’s voice now. “ _Why?_ ”

But Jaytu’s voice is small and full of shame. “They’ve almost rebuilt their fleet.”

Poe had taken a few steps towards Jaytu and now towers before her in frustrated disbelief. 

“ _What_ fleet? How?! After the Battle of Crait they have one Star Destroyer and no facilities to rebuild! We scoured known space, we destroyed Starkiller Base! We destroyed the Supremacy! we-”

Jaytu shakes her head again, and dread creeps into the hearts of all at her next words. 

“Starkiller Base wasn’t where the First Order was built _._ Another planet, a horrid place. They’ve rebuilt their fleet of Star Destroyers, recruiting troops, they’ll be ready soon, then...” She pauses, regretful tears brimming in her eyes. “They’ll burn all opposing worlds to the ground. That’s the ‘ _Final Order’._ ”

Silence follows. The triumph of the Resistance's escape suddenly seems like an insignificant fluke. Rey runs a hand through her long hair, Finn closes his eyes in grief. Just a moment ago they’d had so much time, almost deluding themselves into winning. Poe however refuses to believe it. 

“How do you know this? How…. how...” He struggles to find the words. He looks to Finn for help. Finn approaches Jaytu, holds her shaking hands in his own, and wills her strength. 

“Where is their base?”

Jaytu’s breathing slows. “It’s called ‘ _Othkore_ ’. I don’t know where it is, it’s where I...I...” 

The look of terror returns to her eyes, her shoulders trembling. Finn knows what she fears there - _Reconditioning._ He looks back at Poe, nodding in confirmation. On some deep level, he can sense she speaks the truth. 

But Poe can’t accept it. All the planning, all their sacrifice, for _nothing_. As Poe struggles to comprehend this sudden and overwhelming threat, Colonel Terez moves to the front of the crowd, casting a harsh eye over both Finn and Jaytu. 

“How do we know this isn’t some kind of enemy trick? A plan to lure us out?”

A murmur of agreement goes round the room, but Rey approaches Jaytu and Finn in a show of support, facing Terez and Poe. 

“I can sense no deceit. If Jaytu says this ‘ _Othkore_ ’ is a threat, then I believe her Colonel.”

Finn joins her. 

“We can’t ignore this. They’re gonna destroy everything if we don’t stop them.”

Terez evidently has respect for both Finn and Rey as she promptly backs down, instead turning gravely to Poe. 

“What do we do General?” 

Major Snap Wexley, leader of Black Squadron and acting leader of the fleet, joins her in concern. 

“Poe, we don’t have enough ships to take on _one_ Star Destroyer.”

“Then we’ll get more,” Poe vows. “If Othkore exists, we need to find out where it is and gather more firepower to halt the completion of that fleet.” He looks over at Leia, 3PO and R2. “What leads do we have on bases with starfighters?”

“Most systems are still avoiding helping us to keep the Final Order from invading!” Pipes up 3PO. “Currently we have three confirmed planets with ships that could double or fleet!”

As the protocol droid speaks, Leia approaches the central holotable, placing a datachip into it and loading up a holo image. Three planets flash before them, surrounded by descriptions of climate and potential allies. 

“These three responded to my personal code with offers of sanctuary,” adds Leia. “Acquiring their ships, however, is a completely different problem.”

“We could just buy them?” Offers Major Wexley. Rose intervenes, bustling through the crows next to Jaytu.

“No, that won’t work. Not only are we just making war profiteers richer, they will be the ones supplying the Final Order with extra materials. They will sell us out.” 

Many in the room hit a worrying standstill, but Finn’s mind still races as he looks at the planets, to Jaytu, and back again. It is so simple. 

“No-no-no, we _inspire_ them to join our cause!” 

Finn is met with confused attention as he approaches the main holotable to address everyone. 

“We don’t just need the ships we need pilots to _fly them_. We can do what Skywalker once did: show the galaxy we aren’t afraid, then people will stand with us!” 

A good handful of those present had sought out the Resistance after stories of Skywalker’s sacrifice reached the core worlds. The more seasoned Major Wexley voices his doubts. 

“It’s a nice plan kid, but it’s a risk. How do we know they’d join us?”

Finn opens his mouth but someone steps forward to answer for him. 

“It worked on me.”

Jaytu steps out of Finn’s shadow, proudly. “I’ll join you, I’ll help you take on Othkore.”

Finn’s anxious expression vanishes into a blazing smile. He turns to Poe. 

“General, I believe it can be done. If we’re the spark, _they’re_ the fire. It’s our best chance.” 

He waits for Poe’s answer. Poe squints at the three planets, then to Finn, then Jaytu in faux scrutiny. But he knows deep down Finn is right.

“Alright, Finn’s plan is a go. We recruit allies, pinpoint the location of Othkore, then take them down once and for all!” He fills his words with as much inspiration as possible, they have to be confident going forward. He examines the planets before them. 

“Which one do we go to?”

As the discussion opens up about the pros and cons of each location, a strange feeling washes over Rey as she examines each planet. She’d felt this way when she’d gazed into Ben’s future back on Ahch-To, seeing the shape of his betrayal of Snoke. Now, she can sense a battle in a winter kissed city, and she feels the triumphant elation of discovering the power to fight back against their foes. The Force flows through her as she reaches out into the future, and sees that only through this path can they challenge the threat of Othkore. And Rey, no longer just the scavenger from Jakku, trusts herself. 

“Poe, I’ve sensed something.”

Plenty of those gathered, including Poe, had seen Rey’s skills in the Force up close, including an avalanche of rocks hovering in the air during the Battle of Crait. When Rey finishes speaking, an electric silence falls over all. Most wish to witness a fabled Jedi at work, and they get their wish. Rey points to the planet nearest the top of holoimages before them. 

“ _Tyjimi_. I can sense our path to victory leads through there.” 

Poe looks from the planet to Rey, welcoming her insight but slightly doubtful. 

“Tyjimi are also fighting a losing battle against a garrison of Stormtroopers.” He pauses to contemplate his next question before realising it. “Are you sure, Rey?”

The young Jedi interrogates the other two planets, opening herself up to the Force. She finds nothing. 

“I’m sure, General.” 

Rey makes an effort to include Poe’s title, which she often forgets. Poe nods, and makes a decision. 

“Tyjimi it is, people. Let’s set up and get moving, _NOW!_ ” 

He claps his hands loudly and the huddle of Resistance members bustle towards their stations or the closest exit. “I want a diagnostic of every ship before we jump!”

As the crowd thins, Jaytu flounders for a moment without direct orders before she’s embraced by Finn. She flaila, not knowing what to do, before he releases her and thumps her on the arm. 

“I _knew_ there was something about you!” He exclaims.

Rose claps her hands in excitement beside him, the threat of Othkore temporarily abated. 

“Yes! This is your official welcome to the Resistance!” 

Rey approaches her gaggle of friends too, aiming her signature perky smile at Jaytu as well. Jaytu’s averts her eyes from their gaze. 

“I wouldn’t have done it without all of you, so.”

Her thanks came out blunt, but they all know what she means. From afar, Poe stops tending to BB-8 (who’d also been giving out orders to the other droids) and looks at the group. Pride with a twinge of jealousy fills him as he watches Finn snug Jaytu close in joy. Rose breaks them apart.

“Alright, we’re going back to the barracks to get some sleep, and you should too!”

Rose takes Jaytu by the arm and marches her towards one of the exits, the ex-Stormtrooper waving half-heartedly as they leave. Rey chuckles. 

“You really came through for her,” she tells Finn. “Your senses were right. How do you feel?”

Finn can’t fully comprehend the sensations that have been evolving inside him. It was like a past life had kept knowledge locked away, now open to view. He’d only known Jaytu the best part of a day, and he can already sense things about her he wasn’t even sure he _could_ know. The more he looks, the more there wisas. And the enormity, the access to all, made him feel - 

“Rey, it scares me.” His voice is low as he matches her gaze. “It’s a lot.”

She nods, trying to contain her excitement. “I know, but it’s ok, just breath.”

And they do, together. Rey repeats the same lesson she’d been using to meditate. 

“The Force belongs to all, not the one. It’s all around us, and I can teach you control, to focus, to let it flow through you.” 

She waves her hands calmly with their breathing, and Finn manages to regain his composure. His memories of Reconditioning had disturbed him, as was feeling the same terror in Jaytu. His discomfort is written all over his face, but Rey doesn’t waver. 

“You used those things that happened to you to help someone, you faced your fears.” She smiles wide, feeling a close kinship with her fellow orphan. _“That’s_ the path of a Jedi.”

Finn nods, his confidence returning. From afar, Leia watches Rey work. The once introverted scavenger is truly opening up to others, and Leia couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this proud. Rey makes her exit past Poe, but Finn remains. He walks to the forward viewport, staring out of the window into space. Even without a nudge from the Force, Leia can sense an air of animosity. She approaches, gently touching his shoulder. 

“Finn? Is there something wrong?”

Finn blinks as he withdraws from his thoughts and focuses on Leia. “Oh... I’m alright General!” 

Leia tuts at him, unsatisfied. “You can speak freely with me, Finn. And I’m just an advisor now, you don’t have to-” but Finn raises his hand. 

Ever since she’d given him the moment to speak, over a year ago on D'Qar, Leia had been immortalised in Finn’s mind as the epitome of leadership. Kind, welcome, but smart, tactical and firm if need be. Maybe a person of that calibre and experience is who he needs right now? 

“I’d like to ask for your advice, General.”

Chewie growls a goodbye to both, leaving Leia and Finn almost alone with the blanket of stars beyond the viewing port. 

“Of course Finn, about what?”

Finn struggles with what he wants to say. “My plan. I feel like we can only win this with more allies, but then what?” 

He frowns at his own words, clearly not satisfied with his first attempt. 

“I don’t just want to _win_ this war, I want it to _end._ ”

Though unsophisticated, Finn felt this best describes his feelings. After the subjugation he’d been exposed to a year prior, of how war rewards profiteers and destroys worlds with each battle, he feels trapped by the question with no answer. Though this issue seems tangled and shadowy to Finn, it could not have been more open and clear to Leia. She takes Finn’s arm, walking with him past the windows.

“I’ve asked myself the same question for over thirty years Finn, and I haven’t a clear answer. The Republic corrupted itself, evolving into the Empire. Even with the defeat of the Emperor and my father, their influence still warps the galaxy to this day. The Emperor’s ideals are the foundation of the Final Order, and Vader...” 

Leia breaks off for a moment. Not being able to say her son’s name brings her great shame, but Finn knows why. He nods in polite acknowledgement, encouraging Leia to continue. After a moment, she does. 

“The Final Order must be utterly defeated, dismantled, their foundation uprooted. I’ve lived and fought too long to shy away from the fact that there will always be enemies to fight against, but as for the Final Order...”

They had circled the room and now stand before the door. Leia takes Finn’s hands in her own and looks into his eyes, stern. 

“We must learn from the failures of the Republic and Rebellion. And I think, without even knowing it, you’ve started down that path.” 

Finn looks stunned, but she grips his hands tighter so he will listen close.

“From the way you’ve acted today, saving that woman's life and thinking beyond the Resistance, I’m sure you will find the answer. _Keep going._ ”

Finn struggles to find the words. 

“I-uh-well-, thank-you General, I’ll… keep going.” 

He bows his head in salute and makes his way through the door towards his quarters, head buzzing with more questions, but his doubts subdued temporarily. Thankful, yet again, to Leia Organa. 

Leia is left on the command bridge, taking a moment to fight that creeping shame. Alone amongst the stars, the old General feels the pressure of their mission loom overhead. Staring out into the void, her thoughts turn to that of her lost son. These thoughts are so private and painful, that just his name threatens to snap her famous resolve like a twig. However, being a Princess, a Senator, and a General, Leia is so adept at fighting tears that a bystander would not have sensed her turmoil. But if Han were here, he’d have seen the telltale signs of her back straightening, her grip tightening, her lack of blinking. He’d have known, and comforted her.

But Han is dead, and she is alone. 

* * *

The narrow barracks of the _Craitstar_ are almost full. Rey had left behind the _Falcon,_ docked with the larger flagship whilst internal repairs are made by Chewie and Rose. The Jedi finds a slim room at the end of the barracks to pack down into; complete with a bed compartment in the wall, water dispenser, and a luggage shelf. The dim light rumbles as the ship pushes through space, and Rey wonders if they’d jumped to lightspeed yet. It was now over a year since she’d left her homeplanet of Jakku, but having a room all to herself still excites her. 

Rey scurries around, setting her bag of things on a small crate and stowing her extra clothes and net of junk above her bed. She opens her bag and retrieves two items - a large wooden tome, and a handmade doll in the shape of a person. 

The tome is of the ancient library on Ahch-To island, one of several she’d taken to save them from her Master’s self-destructive spiral a year prior. This volume - whose title translates as _‘Aionomica’_ \- she was slowly reading, as it contains the combined accounts of ancient Force users exploring the galaxy, and taking their first steps into probing the Force. These writers were in a similar position to her - wading into the unknown with little guidance. She finds this soothing. 

The doll has a deeper significance, as it had been given to her long ago, and she had retrieved it covertly from her old home in the past year. As she undresses to an undershirt and unravels her hair, she places the doll upright on the crate next to her. She had always slept near it for as long as she can remember, and she set it there out of a phantom need for familiarity in this unfamiliar place. Her eyes linger on its blank face, and wonder if she places it to stand guard, or as a reminder? And if so, a reminder of what? She decides she can’t remember, and opens the cover of her book. 

The language of ancient Jedi explorers is difficult to decipher, being wrapped in complex metaphors and poetic language, and Rey’s mind begins to wander. As it does, Vicrul’s venomous taunt surfaces in her mind: 

_We both know there’s more lies, isn't there?_

Rey of course knew, but now she thought about it, Vicrul most likely did not. He had relished in his taunt, but if he truly knew what she hid, he’d have said more. Ben had not been able to tell them, but why? Did he not know either? He had seen her parents, when their minds were connected, but had he seen _That Day?_

The doll looms in Rey’s vision and she shifts, suddenly uncomfortable. She withdraws from the thought, closing the book with a snap. She’ll sleep it off, as she always had. Rey reaches up and switches off the light, then freezes. The humming of the ship around her disappears as all sound is sucked away. Instead of being met with a blank darkness where the wall to her room should be, she sees a familiar frame of shoulders leaning over a large metal workbench. Sparks flick up from whatever he is working on. Rey swings her feet off the bed and stands, facing his back before she speaks. 

“This isn’t your ship.”

The shoulders tense at her words, the sparking stops. Kylo Ren straightens up and slowly turns to face her. His long cape and gloves are gone, and he looks strange without them. He hurriedly pulls the leather covering over his hands, almost embarrassed at the semi nakedness. The room is a medium sized compartment of a ship, with two long workbenches in the middle. Scraps of metal and wood lay tattered about the place, gnarled tools hang from the ceiling by chains. Rey stares around, and finds when she looks behind her, the confined room of the _Craitstar_ appears again. She takes a step forward and feels cold durasteel beneath her bare feet. She’d been able to see more of his surroundings earlier - the ship’s window, the helmet - but this is so much more. Rey’s eyes widen. How is this possible?

By the way her hair flutters and muscles tense against the cold, Ren can tell she is not just a projection anymore. _She’s really here._ A simultaneous explosion of fear and excitement roots him to the spot. He simply watches Rey look around the room, only possible through their power. She notices him watching, and draws closer. He backs towards the wall, towards the shadows. Rey watches him go, her wide eyes still hold indeterminate pity in them. He feels bare when she stares, even though he is wearing several layers of clothing, whilst she wears nothing but an undershirt and trousers. She stops before his workbench, and picks up what lays there in both hands. 

“I forgot how heavy it is.” 

She turns his crossguard lightsaber over in her fingers. The emitter plate has been removed as Ren tunes up the inner components, as it’s been damaged. Rey’s fingers search inside the metal shell, and find the scarlet crystal inside. Rey notices a large, raw gash in the side of the hilt. She runs a finger over the damage, a gut feeling to whom Ben has been fighting. 

“I thought you were all dedicated to ‘reforming the Galaxy’?”

She holds up the damaged hilt.

“This doesn’t look very... collaborative.”

Ren doesn’t answer. He retrieves his cloak and adjusts it around his shoulders, obscuring his form beneath it like a large shield. Rey frowns. 

“Are you going to be honest with me this time? Or should I expect more creatures in masks to appear and do your talking for you?”

Ben just stares at her. Rey’s patience for his silence thins dangerously. 

_“Really?”_

She drops the ugly lightsaber onto the bench with a loud _‘CLUNK!’_ Ren’s eyes flit from his weapon to Rey, choosing his words carefully. 

“The Knights of Ren hunt, and they have found something I need.” Ren straightens his back. “It will stop the fighting, and bring a new order to the Galaxy.” 

Rey sighs. “Why does the Galaxy need to change?”

“It is broken.” He says simply. 

Rey studies him for a moment, then softens her gaze. She nods. 

“Yes…. you’re right. It is.” 

Ren’s demeanor breaks as he stares at her, astonished. She wasn’t lying before; she has recognized her own denial. Rey catches his eye and smiles weakly. 

“It is broken, but it can be healed.” 

He is speechless once more. Kylo Ren knows what she’s getting at, but he refuses to play along. He shakes his head at her, but she draws courage in the face of dismissal.

“It _can._ It’s just not easy.” 

“What if it was?” 

Rey cocks an eyebrow. She hadn’t expected this answer, and curiosity arises as to what he’s planning. But she knows this feeling all too well, of wishing for an easy answer. And she refuses to regress. 

“Ben… the two men I just fought, they do not want what you want! They-” 

But Rey stops herself. This is a truth he will only accept when he experiences it. She softens her voice as she draws ever closer. 

“I wished for a simple solution for a long, long time, all that waiting, and look what happened! I made things worse, you saw it! The easy way doesn’t work. So don’t make the same mistake I did.” 

“I won’t.”

“Then be honest with me,” Rey pleads. “What are you still holding onto that hurts you so much?”

Ren’s life seems to stretch out behind him, like a long and arduous road of turmoil. Where would he even begin? Was there even a specific point that drove him to this path? He used to think so. But now, he couldn’t remember a time before his mission. He averts his gaze from her piercing brown eyes. 

“It doesn’t mat-”

“It _does_ matter!” Rey overrides, defensively. “I was stuck for so long and I’ve been able to move forward, I’ve accepted things! You can too.”

Ren closes space between them. He reaches out, picks up the lightsaber Rey had left on the workbench, clipping it to his belt. Ren ignores her empty platitudes, instead focusing on the part that most interests him. 

“Accepted _what?”_

Ren watches the colour drain from her face. Rey had changed since he’d last saw her, but he doubts that she’d been able to confront the one thing that’d held her back for so long. In fact, he doubts she can even say it outloud. 

“...My parents are dead.” Rey murmurs. She clenches her fists right against the words, avoiding his eyes. Ren just stares at her as she continues, shocked. 

“They’re _gone_. But, I refuse to resent them anymore. It’s how I’ll move forward, and build a home of my own.”

She sniffs, tilting her head up to face him now. 

“And you can too.”

But Ren’s patience for Rey’s naïveté runs out. He can tell she’s referring to Leia. Anguish and rage flash across his face, and Rey shows hesitation for this first time since entering the room. Ren’s lip quivers as he bites back the roar that wells up inside him. He molds it into words. 

“Leia?” He spits. “Where was Leia Organa when Skywalker stood over me, lightsaber in hand? Where was Leia Organa when my grandfather’s lineage was uncovered?”

He towers over Rey, his voice low and full of spite. 

“Where was Leia Organa when Snoke whispered his poison in my ear, all those years ago? _Where?_ ”

He stares down into Rey’s face. His eyes brim with twenty years worth of trauma, his next words but a whisper. 

“There’s nothing left for me there.”

But Ren’s intimidation isn’t strong enough. Rey watches him, her eyes full of the same hurt. She feels it too. She sees the same look in his eyes that she had on _That Day._

“You’re wrong.” 

Her voice is small, but defiant. There is no way she can convince him. The harsh truth Rey knows is this is something he has to find out himself. She knows because she’d done so. She’d made little progress, but she refuses to be anything less than proud of what she’s achieved so far. And Rey can sense the beginnings of doubt taking route in Ben’s mind. He hadn’t defended the Knights of Ren from her words. Maybe, just maybe, he can see them as she does. 

But even that wouldn’t change how hurt they both are. 

After the hard work is done, maybe they can be together, as Rose had said. But the work comes first, for both of them. Right now, they have little to offer eachother. Rey knows this. Despite that, her heart aches in her chest. He watches her, blissfully unaware of the harsh truth that awaits him. Even with her mind pleading for restraint, Rey outstretches her hand regardless - but not to take his. She reaches towards his face, to look him in the eyes, to offer him all that she shouldn't-

“Master!”

The door to their left opens and two familiar armoured faces enter. Rey recoils at the sight of the man who had attacked her not hours before; Vicrul. He steps forward, Cardo behind him. 

“Master, we have it. We have her blood.”

Ren was still staring down at Rey in shock. As she reached out, for a split second, the molten rage inside him had subsided. Not beaten down, not culled, it had _retreated._ His gloved hands twitch, his breath quick, but Rey is no longer looking at him the way she had been. Now she stares at Vicrul and Cardo, who in turn stares straight through her at their master. Just the sight of them is enough for Ren’s rage to bubble again, hot and livid. 

But what Vicrul holds in his hands brings reality crashing back over Ren; a cloth stained red. Ren realises that the answer can’t lie in the women in front of him, and he chastises himself for being seduced into believing such simplicities. His frustration at himself boils over, his cheeks burning hot with embarrassment. Only the Oracle holds the answer to ending the war, to ending his suffering. And it will be his. 

Ren crosses the room in two strides and snatches the rag from Vicrul’s outstretched hand. He takes one menacing look at his subordinate and stomps down the corridor towards the immolation room, not daring to look back at Rey. The other four Knights are gathered, burning offerings to the Ren in the sunken fire pit. Kuruk is sitting near his metal throne as Ren approaches him, thrusting the bloody cloth into his chest. 

“The conditions have been met, summon her.”

Kuruk shoulders his rifle and snatches the cloth from Ren, not thrilled about being ordered. The sly voice of Ap’lek comes from between them. Ren turns to watch him unsheathe a vibrodagger from his overcoat. 

“We need your offering too, Master.”

Ren affixes Ap’lek with a penetrating gaze. Ap’lek approaches slowly with the knife, but Ren catches his hand, wrenching the knife from his grasp. He pulls back the glove of his right hand and lets the blade glide across his skin, drawing a thick pool of blood. The sting causes him to grit his teeth, but he holds an expression of complete apathy; no weakness can be shown. He tossed the bloody blade to Kuruk, who caught it and slatheres the fresh red liquid atop the now dried and browning stain on the cloth. Kuruk and Ap’lek descend the step towards the furnace, followed by Vicrul, Cardo, Ushar and Trudgen. They gather before the pyre, with Ap’lek and Kuruk stepping forward with the offering and ancient tome in hand. 

Looking down on them, a dark excitement fills Kylo Ren. For the first time in his life, his path to absolute victory will be clear. He clenches his hands beneath his cloak, feeling blood from his cut wet the inside of his glove. He will finally be rid of distractions, he -

But a sight to his left makes him stop dead. Rey’s brown hair flutters in the warm updraft, her face caught by the orange glow of the flames before them. She isn’t looking at him; she stares straight ahead, determined and sure. He opens his mouth to ask, but no words form. She answers anyway. 

“After what you’ve just told me, you think I’m going to leave you here, in this place, alone?”

He has no response, no defence. He tries to digest her compassion, like a fish gulping helplessly on air. Then Ap’lek’s voice cuts through the air. 

“Tzirji Utimuna, amohtsawsi sis udati ir tsûtri wa dzis tu'iyia zijia!” 

Smoke fills the room once more, but Ren continues to stare at Rey, unblinking. The weight he carries in his chest eases, just a little. The waves of frustration and rage clash against the yearn to defend, to reach back. He feels the familiar sensation again. He is being torn apart. 

“Ziji mus! Ziji mus! Ziji mus!”

Kuruk drops the bloody cloth into the flames, sputtering forth a dark red cloud. Rey watches in anxious awe as the glowing smoke forms into several arms, a torso, a large semi-circular head. The Oracle gazes down upon each gathered, and eventually lingers on Rey, which startles her. Surely only Ben can see her? Rey hopes the knights couldn’t see as well as this ancient creature can. She’d never seen anything like this before. Rey’s eyes dart from the large book of scripture Kuruk holds, to the spot where the bloody cloth had been offered, and understands this much; the Knights of Ren have summoned something ancient, something beyond, something powerful. She recognizes some of the words Ap’lek had used from her own translations; ‘Great’, ‘See’, and ‘Oracle’. Is this an Oracle? For the second time since leaving her bed, she feels her blood run cold with fear. 

The Oracle bears down upon Ap’lek, addressing him in an echoey sing-song voice. 

_“Summoner, garnering these offerings was a difficult task. Choose well you question, as only once may you ask.”_

Ap’lek bows low and turns to his master, awaiting orders. The conflict inside Ren rampages, but beneath it all, a void remains. A yearning for the answer. Not even Rey is powerful enough to overcome this old, sore gap inside him. He wrenches his eyes away from Rey’s freckled face and nods at Ap’lek. The shrouded knight outstretches his hands to the Oracle. 

“Great Oracle, those gathered here wish to know; who will win the war?”

The gathered Knights draw apprehensive breath, eagerly leaning in to catch every word of the Oracle’s response. The great creature places all three pairs of hands together, her eyes seeming to bulge as she tilts her head back. Her mouth twitches as she reacts to the information streaming through her head, before she unfurls her hands and talks directly to Ren. 

_“The battle for the galaxy’s soul is fought by those who are true, but the war will be decided by a chosen few. Those who fulfil these feats will join those in history who alter the galactic future for certain victory.”_

Rey and Ren both stare up at the Oracle, hanging on every word. The Oracle raises two of her arms, a long finger raised on each hand. 

_“These foretold champions will be marked by dual feats, freeing their kin from the doom of repeats. The first is to forge a bond sealed in blood and kinship. A true connection and understanding that transcends traditional friendship.”_

Rey considers the Oracle’s words. Forge a ‘blood bond’? She glances around at the Knights of Ren, who are all staring eagerly at the smokey form above them. She guesses from the age of this ship and their power over Kylo Ren that the knights have been Jedi Hunters for some time. A bond literally forged with blood she thinks, bitterly. The Oracle lowers one of her fingers. 

_“The second is to converge at a temple, a mausoleum of sacred earth. You will know it by it’s molten heart, veins of fire, your guide for rebirth.”_

Rey blinks, confused. The words ‘molten’ and ‘veins of fire’ make her think of volcanoes, which she’d only read about. She’d never heard of a temple with a ‘heart’ of lava. She snuck a quick glance at Ren’s face to her right, and guessing by his reaction, he hadn’t either. 

_“Once there, two of your number will approach the temple heart. In the flames you will present a kyber crystal, cracked, split, broken apart.”_

_“In hands bonded by blood the crystal will become whole, summon me by name and you will achieve your goal.”_

_“Carry out these feats and adhere to this sequence strictly, and I shall bestow upon you the title of_ **_Heir to Victory_ ** _.”_

_“These victors will channel the Force unlike any other, exerting wisdom, power, and control in perfect harmony together.”_

The Oracle lowers her remaining finger. Rey runs over the prophecy in her head; ‘bonds sealed in blood, discover a temple with a molten heart, in which a pair will reforge a broken crystal, and summon the Oracle’. This all sounds like gibberish to Rey, but she can see from the way they gather round the pyre and gaze, entranced, that this is what the Knights of Ren wanted. She wonders what this ‘Heir of Victory’ could do with such command over the Force, and she isn’t alone. The Oracle leans forwards, clearly out of her trance, and Kylo Ren doesn’t give her a moment of solace. 

“What future will the Knights of Ren bring?” 

The eagerness in his voice makes him sound oddly desperate, hungry. The Oracle hovers her pale gaze directly upon the master of the Knights of Ren. She raises her hands to hover, palms open, above each of his six followers. The great creature tilts her head back once more and her eyes gaze wide as she searches the future. 

_“Should you six succeed, the shadow of the Ren will spread. Life will wither and die, and flames will follow in your tread. Your foes on the battlefield will fall, as you will kill their very hope. The destruction you will bring cannot be understated, in vengeance or scope.”_

Shouts of excitement go up from Ushar and Vicrul, but the Oracle isn’t done. 

_“The wound will spread, never to recover from this calamity. No order, either Jedi or Final, will be able to reverse this catastrophe. This you will make sure of, total destruction unburdened. As the Jedi will lay dead, by your hands is she murdered.”_

Fear floods Kylo Ren’s mind. The roar of triumph that reverberates around the room rings in Rey’s ears. She seems to exist, mind and body, in the moment the Oracle uttered the word ‘murdered’. A vision of her own body, broken and bloody, swims before her eyes. The shackled sadness within her wrenches free, enveloping her heart. Terror takes hold, and a scream builds within her. 

“No...no…no…” She mutters desperately, bringing her hands to her face as if to shield her from the now wicked vision of the Oracle, who gazes at her blankly. 

But Rey’s inner shock is disrupted by a noise to her right. For a split-second she had forgotten Ren was even there, but he made his presence known with a deep and painful scream. 

_“NOOOOOOO!”_

Immediately, the gathered knights stop their celebration of coming galactic ruin. Kylo Ren stalks down the staircase, staring up at the Oracle’s passive alien face, his own a sharp contortion of shock and rage.

“ _No._ We will burn and _rebuild._ This cannot - will not - be the answer. You _dare_ try to fool me with false-”

But the Oracle’s wide eyes suddenly spin to affix him in a quivering stare. 

_“My prophecy is as clear as the path of vengeance you walk,_ **_Ben Solo_ ** _. These are the blossoms seeded by wrath, of which you were too proud to forego.”_

Ren recoils at the use of his real name. Even his gathered six followers take a sharp intakes of breath in shock. Their own names have been lost in the allegiance to the hunt long ago, but to mention their master’s name is to invite death itself. The anxious silence remains as the Oracle retracts her arms and bows her head. 

_“These words spoken are prophecy, and our exchange is complete. Completing these feats will yield absolute victory, unblocked by conceit.”_

She seems to be speaking directly to Ren and Rey, as the flames on the pyre blaze and roar. 

_“Farewell.”_

The gathering of smoke and ash sped unnaturally towards the flames, as though being sucked through an airlock, and the pyre returns to a slow burning heap of ashes. The room grows stale and tense, before Ren breaks the silence it yet again. 

“Ap’lek, use the compass to map a course for the Oracle.”

Ap’lek, the most subservient of the Knights of Ren, gazes up at his master in disbelief. 

“But Master, we have-”

“DO IT!” Kylo Ren thunders. “I will not have our good work amount to nothing!”

The Knights of Ren stare at each other. It is clear what Ren means when he says ‘our work’. He means _his_ work. They are content to hunt down their enemies and make offerings to the Ren, but that isn’t good enough for the great Kylo Ren. Their metal helmets mask the looks of contempt, accusation, and scorn they now level up at their master. But their silence is dangerous too. 

Ren descends the steps and towers over Ap’lek. _“Now.”_

A split second passes where Ap’lek stands his ground, then he bows his head. 

“Yes, Master. The Oracle guards her hiding place with all manner of defences, it will take time to-”

Ren cannot allow this insubordination to spread, and his molten rage threatens to spill over again. He raises his voice and addresses all six warriors. 

“There will be no quarter given. This mission is of the highest importance. I will go to the Oracle and I will bend this prophecy to _my_ will, by force. These conditions we have been tasked with carrying out will not start until I say they do.”

He points at Trudgen and Ushar. “You will assist Kuruk and Ap’lek. I want the location of the Oracle in the next hour.” 

The sounds of Ushar’s grinding teeth are muffled beneath his helmet. He and Trudgen are forced to comply. The four warriors stalk off towards the cockpit, and Ren rounds on the remaining two followers. 

“Vicrul, Cardo. I want this temple found, and I want it done today.”

The two warriors knew better than to voice their bitterness, but Vicrul’s gets the better of him. 

“What of the second condition, master? We will take our blood oath to one another, Cardo and I will find the temple, what of the crystal?”

Kylo Ren thumbs the hilt of his lightsaber beneath his cloak, feigning ignorance. 

“I will deal with that. Report directly to my ship once you have a location.” 

He turns swiftly on his heel and marches up the staircase, his cloak billowing behind him. 

“I want this done _now_ , Vicrul. Do not fail me.”

Vicrul’s curses under his breath as the two hunters go to prepare their starfighter for immediate departure. Ren tops the stairs and passes his throne as he goes to prepare his own ship, emotions crashing over him with great speed and pressure. Frustration, anger, elation, hesitation. But one stood out; _shame._ He had been a fool to count himself among the Knights of Ren. They are tools, and he chastises himself for being soft. For seeking _belonging._ He approaches the boarding ramp and lets it descend. The rain soaked surface of a landing platform on the secluded world of Zoh unravels before him. Through the downpour, he can see the winged silhouette of his personal shuttle, and prepares to brave the rain but something stops him. The sensation that all the sound has been sucked from his perception. He senses Rey behind him this time, and it isn’t calm openness that greets him. It is cold, livid anger. 

“So this is where the path of vengeance leads, does it? The ‘seeds of wrath’ was it?” I told you there is no easy way.... And you didn’t listen.” 

All the warmth and closeness they’d regained is gone, ruined by the prophecy of the Oracle. Kylo Ren grits his teeth, rooted to the spot. She doesn’t understand. This _isn’t_ what he wants! But it is Rey’s turn to be conflicted now. She sees a man who had been abandoned by those who loved him, but she also sees her own body, bloody and broken on the floor. Was it her imagination or something more? Despair squeezes it’s fingers around her heart, and she bits back the scream that builds beneath her chest. He’s still standing at the top of the boarding ramp, speechless, and this irritates her even more. 

“Well _your highness_ , this prophecy will never come to pass. I won’t allow thousands to die for your own empty vengeance.” 

She sounds more like the girl on the island now, but these insults aren’t blind. They are targeted assaults on Ren’s ego, his selfishness, all the things he’d shown to her. When he had offered her his hand amid the flames of Snoke’s throne room, this is where it led. Rey’s anger bubbles like boiling water, steaming her vision. She had been foolish enough to worry about him, whilst he was just like all the rest. Just like them. She will not be thrown aside, not again. She sharply corrected herself: _Never Again._

This sudden peak in Rey’s anger flusters Ren. It’s too much. The Oracle was meant to solve his problems not multiply them. This isn’t what he wants. He’d dreamt of building something better, something greater, a galaxy that treats them how they are meant to be treated, but it was all falling apart beneath him. He stares into her brown eyes, alive with deep resentment. Her chest rises and falls as she breathes quickly, the knuckles of her fists white and ready. Rey has been deeply hurt by this. By the prophecy of her death at his hands. The thought of it disgusts him, she _must_ know he would never do something like that. But her hurt goes deeper than that. Instinctively, Ren stretches out with his feelings, trying to find the reason why. Even though this sadness grips her heart, its source is obscured. Something she’s buried deep, and guilt floods him. She’d came to him earlier offering only honesty and support, expecting nothing in return, and she’d been battling this all along. What a fool he is. 

“This is not what I want. I will _never_ hurt you like that,” he vows calmly. “I will go to the Oracle, I will change this. It’s not...” 

He loses his words for a moment, but Rey knows exactly what he wants to say. And it’s not enough.

“But it's what _they_ want, isn’t it? They want me dead.” 

Ren opens his mouth but has no answer. They are just tools, he tells himself. Rey looks down the ramp at this pitiful, lonely man. He can’t see the power they have over him, how he obscures himself from them beneath his cloak, how his muscles hadn’t untensed until he left the immolation room. How he believes he is _their_ master. Rey shakes her head. Is he truly this lost? Does he truly not understand how his power is ruling him?

“When you stand before the Oracle, will you be asking her for your future? Or for the ‘Master’ of the Knights of Ren?”

Ren can’t decipher what she means, and her last strand of pity almost snaps. He can feel her outrage, her disdain for him growing. Deep down, Rey knows she should resist throwing all her pent-up frustrations at him. But Kylo Ren deserves no pity, blind to how deeply and specifically this hurts Rey. With a huge effort, she holds back the boiling anger a moment longer, and delivers her final warning. 

“You’ve got your answer: This is the future of _Kylo Ren_. And I will not allow it.”

She watches the bewilderment spread across his face before turning swiftly. The sound of the rain, the smell of smoke, and the cold feel of durasteel grate flooring against her toes is suddenly gone. She’s back in the tiny compartment on the _Craitstar_ , level with the bag and junk net she’d tossed above the bunk. She can just barely make out the bundle of blankets as she gropes in the dark, settling into them as best she can. Rey clutches at the pain in her chest. They had been closer than ever just minutes before, and that made the sting of betrayal so much sharper in Rey’s heart. Now she is alone, the words of the Oracle float to the surface of her mind, and so does her vision. 

_A bond in blood. The temple with a molten heart. Two warriors reforging a crystal. They are masked, and the crystal is blood red. Resistance soldiers are cut down without mercy. Poe and Finn’s starfighter crashing to the ground in an explosion of flames. And her own body, broken and bloody, breathing it’s last._

The rumbling cries come from within but she refuses them, clenching the blanket in her fists. She will not be tossed aside. Not again.

_Never Again._


	6. Part II - The Labyrinth

The surface of the planet Tyjimi is spiked and treacherous. Jagged mountain ranges infest its landmass, with thin rivers and frozen lakes separating them. Its peaks have been traversed and conquered by Tyjimi natives, settlements and cities built atop many, now sitting in ruin. The jagged buildings are surrounded by forests of pine trees, being able to survive on little sunlight. A thick layer of cloud swirls ever present miles above the surface, and constantly showers Tyjimi in a light dusting of snow. From orbit, the planet appears as a sphere coated in white, blue and grey. As the  _ Craitstar _ and thirty or so other Resistance ships exit hyperspace, the planet is a sight for sore eyes. Relief floods Poe's voice as it crackles over the fleet's comms;

"There she is. Alright everybody, one step at a time, keep your positions!"

Poe and Finn's U-Wing spearheads the line of ships, closely followed by the  _ Millenium Falcon _ and the bulky  _ Craitstar _ , all five starfighter squadrons following in sequence and three smaller cargo freighters bringing up the rear. The Resistance is smaller than it's ever been, but after a few hours sleep and the aftertaste of a win, confidence blazes in the hearts of every pilot.

In the cockpit of the U-Wing, Poe handles the controls with ease, whilst Finn scrubs through data scans of Tyjimi's surface.

"Our target is up ahead, we should probably set up a temporary base around here."

Poe nods at his co-pilot and opens a channel. "Wing Leader to  _ Falcon _ , spotted anything yet?"

In the familiar cockpit of the  _ Falcon _ , Chewbacca and Rose manoeuvre the ship below the cloud cover of Tyjimi, jagged mountains visible through the viewport. Poe's message plays aloud, and Rose looks around the back of her seat at BB-8, who is fussing over their scanner.

"See anywhere we can land?"

BB-8 lets off a tune of panicked whistles - a resounding 'no'. Rose searches around for options, then clicks on her own comm. In the  _ Falcon's _ lower gun turret, Rey stares out towards the snow flecked mountains and pine forests below. There is a look in her eyes, as though a haze is obscuring her vision. Dark circles hang under her eyes. Her thoughts are so far removed from their mission that the sounds of Rose's voice in her ear makes her jump.

"W-what?" she stutters in response, adjusting her headset.

"I said: have you spotted a place for us to land yet?"

Rey shakes her head, trying to displace the hold that Ben and the prophecy have over her.

"Not yet, sorry Rose. I'll keep looking."

Rey engages the control of the gun turret and swivels, looking at the mountains far below. She can't see any flat spaces of ground to touch down upon, and the constant barrage of spiked mountains make navigating any lower dangerous. Rey gazes desperately around, but no leads surface. Her frustration builds, but she stretches out with her other feelings instead, a reflex of her training. And something responds back in her perception, like a ripple on water.

She swings the turret round to point forward, punching buttons in the scan terminal next to her. What she'd sensed is too far ahead for the naked eye to pinpoint, all she can see is a cluster of mountains. As the  _ Falcon  _ draws closer, she realises one of the peaks isn't a mountain at all. Though clustered in fern trees, roots, and snow, it is unlike the other jagged rocks formations. It has four flat sides, meeting at an exact peak. Several openings in its side are large enough for even the  _ Craitstar  _ to fit easily inside. Rey can just make out markings carved into the peculiar darkened stones that make up the structure's exterior. It is an ancient temple of some kind, a pyramid half sunk into the mountain. Rey looks at the scanning data to her right and taps her headset.

"Poe, I've got something. Looks like a ruined temple, uninhabited, camouflaged into the mountains."

She pauses on the decision to mention the nudge the Force had given her. She words it more modestly.

"I have a feeling we'll be safe there."

Poe's laugh crackles through her speaker. "The good feelings of a Jedi is high praise indeed. Take the lead  _ Falcon _ , let's see what you got."

Chewie's enthusiastic roar is met by Rose's excited grin.

"Let's take her down, strap in BB-8!"

Still a bit on edge, BB-8 shot two cables out of his body to keep him steady as the Falcon takes a nosedive, the early morning horizon of Tyjimi replaced by it's spiked surface through the cockpit viewport. The U-Wing and the rest of the fleet form up behind the  _ Falcon _ , as they manoeuvre between the mountains towards the ancient temple. The valleys still have yet to be touched by Tyjimi's sun, and Rose activates their lights to better navigate. As they approach the southern face of the temple, Rose notes how the large gap in the stones they speed towards resembles that of hangars on traditional flagships. The  _ Falcon  _ lights up the temple interior, and even Chewie lets out a gasp. The room is huge, able to fit a fully sized fleet inside, let alone their band of misfit ships. A large elevated platform stands at the room's end, and the ceiling far above them is covered in vines. The room has an eerie glow about it, as veins of crystals glittered in the walls,embedded in the jagged stone bricks. The  _ Falcon _ touches down as the rest of the ships file in. Inside the cockpit of his ship, Poe is positively beaming.

"The Rebels used temples like this all the time; fortified, easily protected from orbital bombardment and scanning… oh yeah, this will do!"

Finn is less impressed with its tactical attributes and more with the temple's strange beauty. The multicoloured crystals glow in the cracks before them as they land near the  _ Falcon _ . Finn removes his flight helmet and stares for a moment, taking it all in.

"Yeah, It'll do alright."

Once the last freighter powers down the Resistance springs into a well-rehearsed rush of preparation. Pilots and technicians secure starfighters and begin refuelling, whilst soldiers and officers set up a perimeter, flooding the base with lights. Finn keeps a watchful eye on new recruits, including Jaytu, as he directs them to distribute crates and power generators around their new camp. Rose and Chewie are immediately preoccupied by a small fire near the  _ Falcon's _ engine room.

The signal Leia had received originated a few miles north, and Colonel Terez dispatches two of her soldiers on speeders to scout the location. Poe gathers his wing leaders and captains for a briefing up on the raised platform, now surrounded by lights and terminals. Leia leaves Captain Nien Nunb, R2, and 3PO to attend to the  _ Craitstar's  _ needs whilst she attends Poe's meeting, but an absence among their number troubles her.

The captain's quarters aboard the  _ Millennium Falcon _ are Chewbacca's by right, but he refuses to sleep there. Rose hadn't enquired why, but when the time comes to power down and rest, Chewbacca will settle down comfortably in the common area cot. He had once wrestled Finn whilst he attempted to give him first aid there, and now he finds it practical for catching a few hours here and there. Rose had taken the guest cot above the seating area, and when Rey had returned to their crew, both had offered her the captain's quarters, which she now sits on the floor of.

After waking, Rey had hurriedly wrapped herself in a tanned yellow tunic and cloak, collected her things from the barracks of the  _ Craitstar _ \- seeking the solace of her own company. All four tomes of Jedi history lay before her, with translation charts and language guides strewn around too. The broken halves of Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber have spilled out of her bag, exposing the shattered gems within, but that particular problem will have to wait. Rey searches desperately though every single book she has about anything to do with 'the Oracle' or 'prophecy', and so far found very little. She had skimmed through the  _ Aionomica _ before they'd exited lightspeed and found no mention, as it mostly describes historic travels into the unknown regions aboard ancient starships. She tosses it aside and roughly opens a book titled  _ 'The Chronicles of Brus-bu' _ . Though a truly revolutionary Jedi of many talents and philosophies, Brus-bu was no sage, and Rey is starting to lose hope.

"I always loathed this room," comes a quiet voice behind her.

This is the second time today Rey's brooding has been interrupted suddenly. She turns to see Leia, dressed in a royal looking coat and gown, a gold circlet on one wrist and leather commlink on the other. She holds her hands before her and looks down at Rey among the mess of pages, curiosity crossing her face.

"What are you doing on the floor?" Asks Leia.

Rey looks around at the chaos in a daze. Leia steps over the books and sits upon the captain's cot. Rey watches as the undisturbed blanket kicks up dust, a certain tension coming over her usually relaxed posture. Leia contains a laugh at Rey's seriousness, leaning down to her level.

"My husband is dead, Rey. And use of an old bed isn't going to insult his memory."

Leia's abruptness cuts through Rey's defences completely, and she can only manage a nod. The old general does indulge a slight chuckle as she holds one of the folded blankets, then approaches the matter at hand with more delicacy.

"What's got you so riled?"

A lump catches in Rey's throat but she pushes through, telling Leia everything she had seen; Ben, the Final Order, the Knights of Ren, the Oracle, and the prophecy. Her composure struggles when she reaches the Oracle's vision of victory for the Knights of Ren.

"-If they succeed, they'll spread the dark-side across the galaxy. The Resistance will fall, and...and..."

She can't bring herself to voice the next part. If she does then it is  _ real _ . Fortunately for her, Leia is no fool.

"They'll come for you, is that right?"

Rey manages a nod of acknowledgment. Leia sighes deep, thinking of how to tackle the threat of all that had just been revealed. She settles on what she does know to be true.

"Visions of the future are very complex, Rey. Do not assume that the future is known, it can only be glimpsed briefly. You might fear it now, but-"

"I'm not afraid," interjects Rey suddenly.

The great sadness that had subsided for a while now leers from its hiding place deep inside Rey, and her frustration with it. Leia zones in on Rey's defiant look, unconvinced.

"Yes you  _ are _ , young Jedi. What's important here is what you did after that. You stood your ground against these hunters and refused to abandon my son."

Even from her position on the bed, Leia seems to tower over Rey.

"That's a huge step above what anybody else has done, ...me included." There's anger in her last two words, but it's not directed at Rey. Still, the Jedi backs down. Leia clears her throat.

"The Knights of Ren are hunters, they will come for you again. We will use that to our advantage."

Rey's embarrassment is replaced by curiosity. She looks up at Leia, wide eyed.

"You know of the Knights of Ren?"

Leia shakes her head, dejectedly.

"No, not much anyway. They're a cult dedicated to continuing the crimes of my father, Vader. Ben came under their sway whilst he was still training under Luke, when he found out about his lineage."

She pauses for a moment.

"No, when I  _ failed _ to tell him. I feared it, and I gave in, sent him away."

Leia bows her head in genuine shame.

"They helped burn Luke's temple to the ground and kill students who resisted. Ben disappeared into the unknown regions with them for years. Han and I searched far, but we couldn't find them, or our son."

Rey places her hand over Leia's, who grips it tight. She'd never seen this calm and confident woman be so vulnerable before, and right now, she doesn't know what to say. Leia lets out a loud sniff.

"What matters is that they are excellent at covering their tracks but rely on brute force. You're smarter and stronger than they are. And they have exactly what you need: information."

Leia squeezes Rey's hand even tighter now, her confident glare back in place.

"Use their arrogance against them Rey, and you'll solve both problems at once. I doubt you're going to find answers buried in these books."

Rey retracts her hand and stares around at the mess, slightly abashed.

"I guess I may have panicked slightly."

" _ Slightly _ ?!"

Leia straightens up, her coat whipping loose pages into the air.

"You're  _ still _ trying to do this alone, without anyone's help! Did you not listen to me at all!"

Though Leia is genuinely scolding her, Rey can sense the compassion that comes with it. She meets Leia's gaze with a perky smile.

"Some skills I pick up fast, others I don't," she shrugs. Leia raises an accusing eyebrow.

"You better. I'll brief Poe on what you've told me, join us when you're ready."

Rey nods and begins packing up her things. Leia crosses the small room to leave, but pauses.

"Oh, and Rey?"

The young Jedi looks up. Leia's brow furrows as she searches for the correct words.

"You were right to tell Ben what you did. You and the life you're building are more important than this prophecy, and he has to learn these things for himself."

Rey is surprised Leia would even mention that part of the retelling. Crouching amongst old paper, some of the frustration Rey holds at the foolish Kylo Ren seems to ebb away.

" _ Thanks _ , Leia. I was angry, hurt, but I won't let that interfere with… what we talked about. Moving  _ forward." _

She can't speak as eloquently as Leia, but the old General understands all the same. Rey's expression changes to one of determination.

"No matter what happens, I'll still be there when he needs me most."

Leia nods, proud to count Rey as an ally in this fight.

" _ We  _ will _.  _ If all goes well, that time draws near. Be ready."

* * *

"Master, we are approaching your destination."

Kylo Ren stirs. He had been meditating before Vader's helmet as the mechanical drone of his FA-17 pilot droid carries through his quarters. He gets to his feet and crosses the room in three strides, traversing the corridor that connects to the cockpit. It is just him and his thin droid aboard, and with every day that passes he is growing to prefer it that way. Ren leers towards the scarlet viewport, a planet covered in a thick sticky haze before them. Incorrectly taking his master's silence as an opportunity to speak, FA-17 drones on.

"The Night Buzzard is not far behind us, master. Where would you like to dock? I cannot currently locate a landing platform."

" _ Bogar Prax _ doesn't have them," replies Ren in a low, apathetic growl. He locates the stretch of forest that Ap'lek had discussed with him on the cockpit holomap "Set her down here, and keep the engine running."

FA-17 nods in confirmation and guides the shuttle through the sticky haze of clouds, revealing the surface of  _ Bogar Prax.  _ The entire landmass is covered in decaying vegetation, as though something rotten takes root deep in the planet's core, like a slowly decomposing fruit. The bodies of water lapping the shores are coloured an unnatural rusty orange. Next to a pool of bubbling tar, Kylo Ren's looming shuttle touches down, closely followed by the sputtering dungeon ship known as the  _ Night Buzzard.  _ Kylo Ren stomps out into the foul atmosphere, and takes a moment to taste the dying world in the stale air.

"Ap'lek!" He shouts.

Four figures depart the smokey ramp of the  _ Night Buzzard _ , each of their metal helmets as crude as their bastardised weaponry. Beneath his cloak, Ren rests a hand on his lightsaber hilt as they approach. He suddenly realizes that he'd never seen them without their weapons. Ap'lek swings his executioner axe onto his shoulder and stands to attention before his master. Kuruk and Trudgen form up behind him, with Ushar completing the set. He flexes a crudely made prosthetic arm as they wait for Ren's instruction.

"Take me to her." Ren orders.

There's a pause as Ap'lek doesn't immediately comply. Ren notices that none of them have lowered their weapons, their suspicion of him is clear. Ushar finally speaks.

"...Why?"

In an instant, Ren removes his lightsaber hilt from his belt and lurches towards Ap'lek, pressing the emitter against his chest. Igniting the blade will skewer both Ap'lek and Ushar. The four warriors barely follow his movements before Ren replies.

"The next of you to question me will not speak again."

He jabs the metal hilt into Ap'lek's chest, causing him to stagger back into Ushar, who almost trips and falls. Trudgen and Kuruk watch, their disgust for weakness keeping them from helping. Ushar grinds his teeth beneath his helm, but it's enough to convince Ap'lek. He regains his balance and retrieves a familiar silver ornament from his coat.

"Yes, Master. The compass coordinates and scripture point this way."

He passes Ren and walks directly into a forest of dead trees. His master follows, trailed by the other three warriors. Both Trudgen and Kuruk barge past Ushar, his lack of strength a point of ridicule. Ushar's grip on his war club only tightens as he hurries behind. Exiting the wooden graveyard, the party of five comes to a stop before a large, stone entrance that protrudes from the rotting earth, seeming to descend into the planet itself. The door is decorated by an ancient text, which Ren approaches. As he does, the door comes alive.

Creatures living in the stone unfurl into a mass of scales, legs and fangs. The large and overlong insect gatekeepers descend towards the young Master Ren, their thin snake-like bodies scuttling across the stone surface. Kylo Ren doesn't flinch, as he is not alone.

The Knights of Ren surge forward, gleefully. Ushar's warclub pulverizes the head of one large creature, Trudgen's vibrocleaver severs another in half, and several catch blaster bolts from Kuruk's rifle. The last of the gatekeepers scrambles to attack Ren, but Ap'lek steps in swiftly. His axe crushes the creature's flesh and bones, and it whimpers it's last.

As his followers unstick their weapons from unmoving carcasses, Ren's hands search the stone entrance, feeling the grooves of the door. He reaches out and, with a touch of the Force, the stone door grinds open. Inside is a sharp descending staircase which leads down into gloom. With a crackling snap-hiss, Ren ignites his scarlet saber and enters, his boots meeting a globulous purple liquid trickling down the steps. The four Knights follow him as the entrance shuts behind them, the only light now Ren's saber.

Ren's pale face glows in the scarlet light of his saber blade. The skeletal structures of his follower's metal faces bob behind him in the gloom. The staircase ends in a large room, a circular holes in the ceiling stream weak sunlight. Ren sheathes his blade and follows the stream along the floor. The curious liquid falls into grooves that surround a stone statue; a tall bearded man, holding two animals in each hand; a winged griffin, and a fanged gargoyle. He stands atop a circular dais with a strange symbol etched into it. Ren's followers join him beneath the statue, and he curates his next words to hide his ignorance.

"Kuruk, Ap'lek. What do the scriptures say of this figure?"

Ren's two advisors step forward, examining the intricate sculpture. For once, Kuruk is faster. His strained voice comes out crude and mechanical through his helm.

"This may be a depiction of the dwellers of 'Mortis'."

Ap'lek nods in agreement, his gloved fingers travelling over the circular decoration on the statue base. "This symbol is similar to the myth of 'balance', and other such Jedi prophecies."

Ren knows of these myths well, as some concern his grandfather. His uncle Luke had told him stories of the power of the 'Mortis Gods', and how they are beings not to be confronted lightly. Doubt flashes through Ren's mind; has he underestimated the Oracle's power? He walks past the statue and gazes upon the large stone door on the far wall. Beyond are pillars and walls that resemble a maze, with no direct path. He can sense a presence beyond, like a mass of throbbing life. And the presence gazes back. Resisting the urge to retreat, Ren reminds himself that his followers have uses other than to guide and guard.

"Ushar, Trudgen, Kuruk, Ap'lek. Enter and find the Oracle."

But no scurry of booted footfalls meets his order. Ren rounds on his men, ready to slash them to shreds, but is confronted by Ap'lek kneeling kneeling before him, helmet bowed.

"Master, we cannot enter. Only one must enter the Oracle's labyrinth, and only the strongest will prevail."

Kuruk, Trudgen, and eventually Ushar follow suit and kneel before him. Ren guesses that they can feel the presence as he does, and their readings of scripture have been bountiful so far. He retracts his sharp frustration, though lingers for a moment on Ushar, who he senses watches him unblinkingly, before turning towards the entrance to the labyrinth.

"Your weakness fails me yet again, warriors of Ren."

Ren steps forth into the maze of pillars and walls, alone and confident that he can traverse its dangers unscathed. Like so many things, he is deeply mistaken.

* * *

"What've you got for us Colonel?"

Upon the elevated stone inside the ancient temple, Poe examines a large holotable. Gathered round are his squadron leaders, his naval colonel and commanders, advisors, and communication droids; the highest of Resistance Command. Rey stands amongst Leia and Chewie, whilst Finn and Rose sit beside Colonel Terez of the army division and Major Snap Wexley of the starfighter squadrons. All gathered are cast in the blue glow of the giant holoimage Colonel Terez now indicates.

"Lieutenant Moradi's scouting mission was a success; our target is called  _ 'Calrim Guild',  _ Tyjimi's largest city and home to all kinds of colourful characters, including pirates."

The holoimage shows a city of brick bell towers, market squares and tangled streets, nestled near the top of a pointed mountain. Terez continues.

"They were neutral in the war until recently. A garrison of Stormtroopers are currently controlling the city with a curfew, two walkers, and a prison; holding the Guild's most able fighters. They look desperate, General."

Poe scratches his chin. "Looks like we'll need a miracle. Luckily, we have someone better."

He looks to Rey. "What've you got, Jedi?"

The Force fills Rey up from the inside, the string of time but cord in her fingers. She can sense they are in the right place.

"We are supposed to be here, Poe. The Force is with us."

Poe nods gravely, approaching the next subject with care. "And, what of these 'hunters'?"

Rey nerves sharpen as she approaches the holotable, depositing a small datacard into the controls. The holo of Calrim Guild vanishes, replaced by a bounty holo. The masked helmets of Vicrul, Cardo, Trudgen, Ushar, Kuruk and Ap'lek are displayed, their names hovering above. Rey looks upon them with disdain as she addresses those gathered.

"The 'Knights of Ren' are Jedi hunters, dispatched by the Supreme Leader. They tracked me to our previous base, and I know they will do so again."

Rose shifts uncomfortably before the masked figures, and Finn grows anxious for Rey's safety. He works hard to not show these feelings, but others like Major Snap Wexley and Colonel Terez aren't so kind. Rey hesitates, sensing the unrest in the room, but presses on.

"I will make sure the Resistance is protected. Please, leave them to me. I can handle them."

Rey gives a small bow of her head. Leia shoots her a knowing, confident look and Poe squeezes her shoulder in support.

"We got you, Rey," he whispers before turning to the room at large. "Keep your eyes peeled, everyone."

A murmur of agreement goes around the gaggle of leaders as Rey rejoins them. Chewie lets out a gurgling growl of approval, the confidence of the Resistance returning. Poe switches the holoimage back to the overview of  _ Calrim Guild _ and slaps his gloves across his hand, satisfied with Rey's promise.

"Excellent.  _ Most _ excellent. Now, the task at hand."

He sharpens his focus on the stage before him, his brain's tactical cogs working overtime to devise a plan of liberation and inspiration. He rubs his hands together, like a cook on the cusp of a new dish, and lays his genius bare.

"The key is the prison. The Final Order have shepherded all potential allies into one location, and are prepared for a break- _ out _ , not a break- _ in. _ That's our first advantage."

The holoimage shimmers, now showing a makeshift prison complex on the outskirts of the city, surrounded by pine forest. A single trooper transport is parked behind and several squads of Stormtroopers patrol the inside.

"In order for us to liberate the Guild's fighters, we'll need to lure the garrison away from the prison. Only a handful of their number are patrolling the streets, so we'll ambush them somewhere public to draw reinforcements."

Poe clicks buttons and shows the city in full, then zooms in on an open area near the middle of the city - the market square.

"Here, perfect. Team Aurek will be our distraction. Once the troopers are lured in, our other two teams will jump into action."

He scrolls the holoimage again to show the garrison's two parked AT-ST walkers.

"Team Besh will commandeer their heavy artillery, as we don't want to be facing two walkers in an open area. Rose, that jammer will come in handy here for disruption. They won't know what hit them."

Rose's cheeks glow red as Poe indicates to her. Finn gives her a proud nudge.

"Simultaneously, Team Cresh will infiltrate the now under guarded prison and liberate the Guild's fighters. If all goes to plan, Teams Besh and Cresh will bring walkers and reinforcements to the city square, and we'll overwhelm the garrison with a dual ambush. There are several hundred ships and fighters parked and belonging to the Guild around the city; if we do this, I believe they'll join our cause. Then onto Othkore, and stopping the Final Order once and for all! To victory!"

A boisterous cheer goes up from those gathered, all but Finn. The same feeling that had irked him on the  _ Craitstar _ the night before now rises up again. A sense of unease. As Leia had confessed to him, things need to change. And this doesn't feel right. A few feet away, Rey feels this unease emanating from him. They lock eyes, and Rey gives him a nod of support. With this nudge, Finn clears his throat.

"General,  _ wait _ ."

Poe had been on the cusp of dividing up the three teams, and grins at his co-pilot.

"What is it Finn?" You like the plan!? All thanks to your idea, huh?"

He closes the distance between them, changing tact as he sees Finn's concern. "What is it?"

Finn gulps, but speaks firmly. "I don't think an ambush is necessary."

The buzz of excitement dies down as those around them pause to listen. Poe's brow furrows as he tries to comprehend Finn's words.

"Don't you worry buddy, I've made sure we're taking as little risk as possible." But Finn shakes his head.

"No, I mean, we don't have to kill them all. We can still get what we need and spare their lives."

" _ Them? _ " quotes Poe. "You mean, the  _ Stormtroopers? _ "

The room is completely silent now as Finn and Poe face each other before the holotable. Though he hesitates, Finn doesn't back down.

"Yeah the Stormtroopers. They're tortured into following orders by officers and people like Hux, they've never been given a choice."

Poe's eyes widen in disbelief at what he is hearing, but Finn presses on.

"Trust me when I say they don't want to die on this battlefield. They are experiencing first hand the very tyranny we are _resisting,_ and no one is helping them. _We_ _should_."

Finn heart thumps against his ribs, knowing that his words are heresy to those who'd suffered at the hands of such armoured troopers. But he doesn't care. If they had seen what he'd seen - friends forced to fight and gunned down, or seen the terror in the eyes of Jaytu - they would say the same. Before Poe can form his response, Finn finishes his point.

"Your plan is inspirational, General, but if we have the power to allow the troopers to choose between fighting and surrender, I'm confident they'll choose a ceasefire."

Poe rubs his eyes as a barrage of feelings wrestles within him. His concern for Finn has doubled in the past five minutes, but so has his frustration. Above it all, he holds himself to the high standard of 'Leader', and had learned the consequences of risky stunts such as this.

"Finn I understand where you're coming from, but we just don't have the manpower to back such a risk! We're here  _ because _ we have woefully few allies. Until we achieve that, we're in no position to help. We're the spark that will light the fire that'll burn the Final Order down. That's our way forward."

Poe's sympathy didn't lessen his firmness; this is an order, however nicely phrased. Finn understands that much, but the burning feeling of injustice still persists. And more than just injustice; what if they fail to inspire allies? Who then will come to their aid? As Finn feels overwhelmed by trying to completely change the course of the war itself, a horrid memory surfaces in his mind. A dying friend, grasping up at his face with bloody hands. Finn's courage returns.

"How many tortured Stormtroopers will fall in order for us to liberate the few that are left? They never chose this, my friend Slip didn't choose this when he died on Jakku. And given the chance, I know he would have chosen a way out, to fight back against those who stole our lives away from us."

Colour drains from Poe's face as Finn names the Stormtrooper he'd shot dead, so long ago.

"I'll do as you command, General, but ask yourself: If we're the spark, what if  _ they  _ are the fire that'll burn the Final Order down?"

Finn bows his head in acknowledgment of Poe's orders, then returns to his seat. From afar, Leia watches with sympathy and regret, feeling as though Finn probes at a great truth that not even she has scratched the surface of. She wishes there is something she can do to help, and Leia doesn't envy Poe at this moment. The handsome leader clears his throat, and attempts to summon back the confident buzz before Finn's outburst.

"Alright, let's split up into teams. I'll lead the distraction with Team Aurek, and take the majority of commanders. I'll need volunteers to commandeer the walkers in Team Besh."

Rey immediately steps forward. "You can count on me to work more miracles, Poe."

Poe nods thankfully at Rey, but his relief doesn't last long.

"We're going too."

Finn passes Poe to join Rey, BB-8 at his heels. Poe's face remains passive, business-like, but the worry that Finn wants distance between them hurt. Rey, however, looks pleased to be in the company of her oldest friends.

"We should be alright with just us three, General." Her perky grin returns, and Poe adds jealousy to the emotions he'd be dealing with later.

"Agreed," says Poe. "We'll need all the help we can get breaking into that prison."

From behind him, Chewie lets out a roar of agreement, effectively volunteering himself for a prison break. Poe grins.

"Colonel Terez and Chewbacca, you'll be Team Cresh. Take a number of Scouts and head to the prison."

"General," pipes up a soothing voice from beside Chewie. "Count us in."

Leia approaches, beside her the blue and silver dome of R2's head bouncing and beeping with fiery determination. 3PO tries to shield himself behind Chewbacca.

"Oh my, here we go again..." He whimpers to himself.

Poe claps his hands together for the third time, satisfied with their plan.

"All right, everyone has their teams and orders. Keep radio chatter to a minimum and await my signal to advance. Snap, get your pilots some weapons, you're with me."

Resistance command disperses, moving towards their various stations as Poe shouts over the noise.

"And may the Force be with us!"

Rose goes to hurry off and join the distraction team but Finn catches up to her, Rey and BB-8 not far behind him.

"Listen Rose, you make sure Jaytu doesn't get into any trouble." His worry bleeds into his words as the four of them walk in the direction of the  _ Falcon _ . Rose laughs off his seriousness.

"I'm used to babysitting reckless ex-Stormtroopers, don't worry." Her facade of confidence breaks slightly. "Though I'm told she's not to be trusted with a blaster, yet."

Rose and Finn walk level now, and she can see frustration contort Finn's face.

"He just thinks we're 'special cases'. None of us want to fight, why can't he get that?!"

Doubt flashes across his mind. "I don't want to put anyone in danger, I just think-"

But it is Rey's turn to be firm. She takes his hand, a nostalgic gesture of their friendship, and stops just before the  _ Falcon's  _ entrance, looking straight into his eyes.

"Finn, what you did just now was brilliant. You stuck up for the people who are tossed aside by this war, and I'm grateful. I'm sure they'd be grateful too."

Awe shines through each word she speaks to him. Finn straightens up, his doubts receding to be replaced by embarrassment at such high praise.

"T-thanks guys. Saving what we love, right Rose?"

"Right!" Rose beams at him. "We're with you, Finn."

BB-8 chirps in too, and the three friends laugh. Rose breaks away, crossing the hangar towards the  _ Craitstar's _ barracks to join the distraction team. "I'll look after Jaytu if you keep those masked men away!"

Though the levity is clear in Rose's voice, through the eyes of a Force-user, her fear is evident. Rey grins confidently.

"I'll make sure, see you soon Rose."

Finn and BB-8 hurry off to prepare themselves whilst Rey boards the  _ Falcon _ alone. She retrieves her blaster and staff, but lingers on the half-repaired lightsaber of Anakin Skywalker. She is still having trouble reconstructing the intricate insides of the weapon which, for a scavenger of her experience, is deeply frustrating. As she makes to leave, a sensation comes to her through the Force - the feeling of deep, repressed fear, far away. And she knows what this heralds:

Ben is in danger.

* * *

Deep in the crudely constructed corridors of the Oracle's labyrinth, the stomp of Kylo Ren's boots echo around the stone passageways. The labyrinth lacks any kind of finesse, it's low ceiling filled with thick stone pillars. The way forward is dimly lit through beams of dusty sunlight, but Kylo Ren has an eye for details. He navigates through the uneven corridors of walled pillars, and can sense a strong presence up ahead. Before long he is nearing the back of the room with suspiciously little interference, only a creeping mist materialising around his ankles. He steps over the rubble of several fallen pillars and arrives in a long, inlaid room. At the far end stands an open doorway, identical to the one he entered. He advances without question, but senses the power of the labyrinth tighten around him, like threads from a spider's web.

The pillars he just stepped over reform as part of the wall, baring his retreat. He turns back to face the exit and realises that the mist has grown thicker, but it's more than that. It is moving unnaturally, as though guided by an unseen party. It fills the room ominously, and begins to restrict Ren's vision. Growing frustrated with games, Ren lurches forward to cross the threshold of the door, but finds none. He is now encased in a room of white mist. As his frustration begins to boil again, a shrill feminine voice cuts through the air.

" _ Welcome to my labyrinth, Master Ren. Wise you are to leave behind your men." _

Kylo Ren whirls around to face the source of the voice, his cloak whipping around him, answered by nothing but mist. The voice seems to be coming from everywhere at once. His patience runs dry once more.

"I must speak with you." He mutters.

A high-pitched, spiteful laugh fills the air around him.

" _ Many wish the same, but I only entertain a few. Why should I let you through? You have invaded my home, thinking you can take whatever you want. But you can't, not from me, no matter the power you flaunt." _

Ren growls in defiance, stretching out his hand and commanding the Force. The mist before him retreats momentarily, but returns seemingly of its own accord, and the Oracle's laughter with it.

" _ I have already lent the Knights of Ren my insight, a future decree. What more could you need of me?" _

The muscles under Ren's face contort as he wrestles with that very notion.

"I wish to ask you a question of my own, to change the prophecy."

There is a pause, the Oracle seems to contemplate his words.

" _ That all depends on  _ **_who_ ** _ is asking. I will tolerate no deception, or masking." _

The Oracle seems curious, at least, which Ren supposes someone who regularly peers into the future would be.

" _ I shall give you passage through my labyrinth and be your audience. You may ask you one question only once in my presence. But you must give me an offering..." _

She teeters on the condition, and Ren wonders if she is enjoying watching him skirm. Does she wish for more of his blood? The cut beneath his glove has not healed, and fresh blood wets his hand.

" _... not of the body, but of the mind. A precious truth you have told no one else, to which all others are blind." _

Ren chooses to feign ignorance, but the mist swirls around him, as though responding to his decision to cheat.

" _ No-no-no, do not think you can deceive my mind as you do your own. I can see your heart, I can see the truth you hide, the one I seek to be known." _

A forbidden memory bobs at the surface of Ren's mind and his breath catches in his throat. Shame and anger boil in his stomach.

" _ I see you,  _ **_Ben Solo_ ** _ -" _

As the most hated name is uttered, Ren drowns the Oracle's voice out with a roar of defiance, echoing around the room. The mist stops swirling, and Ren's voice is low and filled with bolstered pride.

"I need no reminder of what I have surpassed. I have overcome foolish Solo, the mighty Skywalker." His voice lowers further into a shallow hiss, more talking to himself than the Oracle. "I have gone beyond even Lord Vader."

Shrill laughter cuts through the air louder than ever, and the mist draws closer, thickening.

" _ Never have I seen one with so much vision be so blind." _

The mist snakes up Ren's body, encasing him. He thrashes his arms and legs madly.

" _ Your greatest foe still holds such power over your mind." _

The mist reaches Ren's neck, closing in to engulf his defiant and flustered face.

" _ Though they are dead, by your cruelest stroke, you cannot say their name, the one they call-" _

" **NOOOOOO!** "

Ren clasps his gloved hands over his eyes, yelling in terror. And in the dark, away from the blinding light of the mist, he waits. His scream dies and he stands there, a warrior cowering behind his own fingers. Disgust and shame fills him at his own helplessness. He straightens up and opens his eyes. What he sees makes him wish for the comfort of the dark again.

He is aboard the flagship  _ Supremacy _ , in the grand throne room. He is surrounded by flames. His cloak and lightsaber are gone, instead he gazes empty handed before the great metal throne. Atop it sits a severed lower torso, clad in a golden robe. At the base of the throne, the sprawled body of his former master lays awkwardly on the floor. One of his arms ends in a smoking stump, and the mutated and bulbous head lays still, facing towards Ren. But what fills Ren with terror is his eyes. Blue as summer sky, they stare at him. Even as a carcass, Supreme Leader Snoke pierces into Ren's very soul. No corner of his mind is safe. His black tunic and leather garments do nothing to protect him. The familiar and hated feeling of uninvited exposure fills Kylo Ren. He wants to turn away, to run, to leave this disgusting beast of a person at his back forever. But the Oracle doesn't lay behind him. He forces himself to gaze back into the eyes of his master, and summons the memory of his death, the look of shock and horror on his face as Anakin's lightsaber carves him in two, it's shining hilt flying into the hands of Rey. And now all he thinks of is her face, shining with relief, determination, hope. With a great effort, he steps forward.

The room vanishes. The heat of the flames and sounds of ion cannon bombardment are gone. Now Ren occupies a large atrium on Starkiller Base. His tunic is longer and a cowl is wrapped about his neck. He looks up into the holoimage of his master, sitting atop an oversized throne. Snoke points a gnarled finger at him but Ren is wiser now. His master is dead, and no illusion is going to bring him back. He steps forward once more, and the eerie atrium disappears.

Ren looks down at himself. He is wearing a simple white robe, brown leather belt and boots. A worn cloak is drawn around his shoulders, and stained gloves cover his hands. Ash and soot cling to his once pristine Jedi uniform, the aftermath of a fire. Ren looks up. He is in a familiar overgrown garden. The wicked trees have twisted and outgrown their confinements. Behind him gather the Knights of Ren, who brought him here from the temple he once called home. Blood clings to their weapons and clothes, and they block his exit. There's no going back. Atop a large wooden chair before him sits Snoke, dressed in a simple green robe and hood, covering his large head. Snoke contorts his face into a smile. Even after ten years, the smell of rotting wood sends shivers down Ren's spine. This had been their first meeting, and he is scared. No,  _ Was.  _ He wasn't a distraught Jedi Apprentice anymore. He banishes his fear and steps forward, seeing through the kind smile his master had worn. As the room dissolves into nothingness, he relents on the pointlessness of the Oracle's illusions.

But now he's in a familiar space. A room with white walls and a wide window, looking out onto the horizon of the planet Chandrila. A trickle of speeder traffic flies overhead. Ben sits on the floor, his back against his bed, and slowly absorbs the curious nostalgia of the room. One of his old stuffed toys sits frumpled upon the carpeted floor, a model of a New Republic starfighter stands atop his table. A polished staff leans against the wall, which he'd manoeuvre around like a blade when his lights were out. The door and - now he looks - the room in general are a lot bigger than he remembers. He looks down at his small, pudgy hands and realises the room isn't bigger, he is smaller. He pulls at the tiny body encased in a white shirt and navy vest, his fingers searching his cheeks to find them wet. His chest heaves, hiccuping on air. He'd been crying. But what about?

"Ben?"

The eerie noise makes young Ben jump, scrambling to force his back to the wall. He searches all four corners of his room with frantic eyes, but finds no one. This isn't one of his father's tricks either.

"I'm a friend, Ben. Don't be scared."

The voice seems to come from nowhere and everywhere at the same time. Ben doesn't understand how his Uncle Luke does some of the things he does, but he is sharp enough to know talking to someone without moving your lips is a possibility. Armed with this knowledge, young Ben pushes his mop of black hair defiantly out of his eyes.

"Who are you?" He asks the room.

There is a slight pause before he hears the voice again.

"I'm a friend, Ben. My name is Snoke."

There's an artificial sweetness to it.

Ben is caught between building excitement and a deep unease. As he stews on his feelings, the voice echoes once more.

"Why are you so upset, Ben?"

Previous feelings are drowned by a sudden, panicked fear that floods Ben's body like poison. He crawls towards the door, reaching up to touch the panel, to run, to call his mother's name-

"Please Ben, don't be alarmed. I'm like you."

The artificial sweetness is replaced by genuine seriousness. Ben's hand hovers over the door panel.

"I wield power like your Uncle does, you were right about that. But we're not like  _ Them, _ are we Ben?"

Ben's hand still hovers threateningly over the door panel, but his attention has been caught.

"What do you want,  _ Snoke _ ?"

"I want what you want, Ben. Someone to talk to. Someone who wants more, to surpass those around them."

Ben had never spoken of the jealousy he'd felt for his father, his mother, his uncle. He had never even written it down, never the courage to. And hearing it aloud scares him. He activates the door panel and strides down the corridor towards his mother's office. He can hear the voice coming back but he shuts his eyes, imagining pushing it away. It is down to a whisper as he approaches his mother's office.

"Wait!" Says the voice, barely audible.

The young boy pauses again, but he'd proven he has power over this 'Snoke' now, he doesn't need him. The voice speaks in a whisper.

"I'm weak, Ben, I need your help. But in return, I can promise you power."

The boy turn his back on the door and peers down the corridor. Faintly, he can see the outline of a misshapen man wearing a shawl. His fingers look as though they'd been broken, and his face is cracked underneath the skin. This sudden, supernatural vision makes the hairs stand up on Ben's neck, but he doesn't look away. Ben's curiosity peaks, as he sees Snoke isn't lying. And if he isn't, that could mean…

"Power… like my Uncle Luke?"

The apparition of Snoke shakes his head, and Ben looks into his gleaming blue eyes for the first time.

"Power  _ beyond  _ the Skywalkers."

Beyond Luke? Ben can't comprehend what that means, but he likes the sound of it. The ghostly vision of Snoke outstretches his gnarled hand. Ben's pudgy fingers reach towards his new friend, but stop. There is something in those eyes that betrays the frail body that houses them. They see through Ben, and he is reminded of a sensation. A familiar and hated feeling of uninvited exposure.

"Closer child..." mutters Snoke, but Ben's hand fall down to his side.

"No."

The navy vest, shirt, and tiny body inside it fall away. In their place kneels Kylo Ren, his thick cloak covering his body and his lightsaber clipped to his belt. He matches Snoke's piercing gaze with his own, and his voice rumbles with thunderous resolve.

"You underestimated Skywalker, and Ben Solo, and me."

He gets to his feet, towering over the pathetic image of Snoke that quivers before him.

"Rey was right. It was your downfall."

He strides straight through the apparition. The corridor of his childhood home dissolves into nothingness, but the vision of Snoke remains. It twists in the air, distorting violently into a leering representation of his master. The huge, scarred head balloons in size and hovers over him, staring nightmarishly down at Ren, as large as his hologram on Starkiller Base. A dark chuckle escapes the scared lips.

"You think I can be beaten by  _ you? _ 'Kylo Ren' is not your creation, he is  _ mine _ ."

The ghost of Snoke gnarls and warps like the trees he'd been surrounded by once before. But Ren doesn't move. Snoke hisses like an angry snake.

"You will never be free of me. I-"

"You are  _ nothing _ ," retorts Ren, low and commanding. "An old fool who wasted his gifts. But I won't. I'll seize my own future beyond you."

Ren's cloak billows behind him as he strides straight through the vision of his Master.

"Beyond  _ 'Kylo Ren'. _ "

But Ren says these last words alone. He is standing over the threshold of the labyrinths exit. Before him, the white mist retreats down a tunnel, burrowing even further into the earth. Ren waits for the voice of the Oracle to return, but supposes there's only one way forward.

As he descends, four sets of echoing footfalls signal the arrival of Trudgen, Kuruk, Ushar and Ap'lek. Ren supposes that the final room being sealed was another illusion of the Oracle. Ap'lek catches up to him, scarcely repressing awe.

"You broke through the labyrinth!"

Ren doesn't answer as he continues his descent. Ap'lek falls in step behind, and is joined by the tall and broad Trudgen in his praise of strength.

"Only a Master of the Ren could have escaped such a place." Trudgen's barely used voice crackles like gravel under foot. "You have proven your strength yet again, Master."

Ren's silence meets such compliments. His followers assume that he is above boasting of his endeavours, and they resume a quiet hike down the tunnel. All except Ushar, who now fervently suspects his master used some other method, like soft Jedi teachings, to slip past the Oracle. In truth, he is half right.

* * *

The layer of deep forest that surrounds  _ Calrim Guild _ allows Rey, Finn, and BB-8 a well shielded approach to their target. The crunch of pine needles underfoot accompanies them, as the deep cover of the canopy above insulates them from all other sounds. Rey hugs her faded yellow cloak against the chill, her arms and hands protected by thick sleeves and leather gloves. Finn buries his face behind the collar of his poncho, envying BB-8 for ignoring the cold and bobbing merrily on beside him through the frost. Rey however is pleased to be among her oldest friends after what felt like a full week of torment. Finn is ahead, peering through his macrobinoculars whilst BB-8 chirps inquisitively next to Rey.

"We could have recruited more for our team, but the three of us have commandeered transports before, remember?"

BB-8 whistles back at her in half agreement. Finn retreats back to his friends, stowing away his macrobinoculars and kneels behind the downed trunk they are using for cover.

"Three Scouts ahead and four walker pilots. We can take them down easily and quietly, I've got some new moves."

Finn winks at BB-8, and Rey matches his look of optimism.

"Yeah, I've got some new tricks too. We are getting  _ pretty _ good at this."

They exchange a hushed chuckle, the calm before the storm. Rey closes her eyes and becomes calm, letting the flow of the Force take her, like floating down stream. Her senses magnify and she can feel the crunch of needles underneath the Scout's boots before them, the checking of cockpit controls by the AT-ST pilots. Finn watches her work, pride filling him. Rey withdraws into her body and opens her eyes.

"You two go round the back and get as close to the walkers as possible. I'll take out these guards and give you a head start."

There is no protest from Finn as he keeps his prideful gaze. Rey's seriousness breaks as she notices, with a laugh.

"What?!"

"Nothing," Finn says, fondly. "I just can't help but remember the wide-eyed scavenger who lit up at the thought of 'Luke Skywalker', and-" He indicates to her. "Now look at you!"

Rey's heart glows with warmth, her cheeks too as she smiles.

"And look at you, a true Resistance hero through and through;  _ The _ Finn."

Finn smiles at the floor, flattered but doubtful. "I'm not sure, I've had a lot of help, people who believe in me."

He looks up, and there is guilt in his eyes. "People who believe there's light in  _ everyone _ . It's that idea that pushed me to challenge Poe."

He peeps over the log, the Scout Troopers are still circling the perimeter as ordered. Finn lowers his head, stowing his pride and getting to the point.

"I'm trying to say that I'm sorry about doubting you. You were the first to look at me like a  _ person _ and you backed me up. So, I've got your back too."

He offers his hand solemnly. Rey is pleased, but wants to be as clear as possible.

"You believe  _ he _ can be saved?"

The scar on Finn's back prickles uncomfortably but he ignores it, nodding resolutely. Rey takes his hand, and feels as though the weight she carries has just halved.

"Thanks Finn," she says, relieved. "I'm going to need all the help I can get."

When Finn looks mystified, she elaborates.

"He's working things out for himself, but I can't force him to see. And the Knights of Ren they..."

She looks more forlorn than Finn had ever seen her. He scratches his chin and settles on the truth.

"Don't worry about them, think about what you've already done. I wanted to run away and hide. Jaytu wanted to hand us over to the Final Order. Luke  _ damn  _ Skywalker wouldn't even help!"

He kneels down closer to Rey and points a finger at her chest.

"But  _ you _ believed in us. If you believe he can be saved, I do too. That's all that matters."

BB-8 wobbles enthusiastically in agreement. Rey feels the sadness that lurks inside her retreat. Finn straightens up and offers her his hand.

"Come on. Let's go win this war."

Rey chuckles as she grips his hand and stands as well, her determination blazing. The three friends bank right, flanking their target. A question rises to the surface of Rey's mind.

"What're you going to do when this is all over, Finn?"

Finn runs a hand through his hair, hiding his longing expression from Rey.

"Oh you know, put my blaster away for good, maybe settle down, give back somehow. I'm done with fighting."

He looks at Rey with a cheeky grin.

"I know what  _ you  _ should be doing though."

Rey's cheeks glow red as her mind suddenly reverts to hushed conversations she'd shared with Ben on Ahch-To.

"What's that?" She replies, a little too accusing.

"Isn't it obvious?!" teases Finn. "You're a pilot! With your own ship you could go anywhere, do anything!"

This catches Rey by surprise. As they trek further, she takes a moment to really consider what she, Rey from Jakku, would want after the war is over. She enjoys helping others, especially those that are alone, like she was. But there are so many. That is a huge endeavour for one person. But, the hope that she might not be alone, that there will be someone there with her, brings the smile back to her face.

The thought of who that person might be makes her blush again.

* * *

"Oh, what a ghastly place!"

C3-PO is lagging behind. Team Cresh is twenty members strong, with the protocol droid and his companion R2-D2 bringing up the rear. The soldiers shuffle between the sharp-roofed settlements on the outskirts of  _ Calrim Guild,  _ providing them ample cover on their route towards the garrison prison. R2 whistles impatiently as 3PO quivers like a large golden scarecrow, refusing to advance.

"I can't do it anymore R2! I simply can't! You'll have to-"

But Chewbacca runs out of patience. The great wookie picks up 3PO and tucks him under his arm, as though he weighs nothing at all. 3PO's protest is quickly silenced by a low and serious growl from his big furry taxi. They advance far enough to reach the edge of the city, and meld into the trees approaching the prison. Ahead of the team, Leia shoulders her blaster rifle and peers down past the edge of the tree line, sizing up the prison before them. The large rectangular complex is surrounded by several squads of Stormtroopers, Leia counts over two hundred red helmets. This isn't going to be easy.

"Team Cresh in position, General," she whispers into her wrist commlink.

Leia's comrades gather around her, checking their blasters and keeping noise to a minimum. The realisation that the youngest of their group - a Twi'lek named Jembe - and the oldest - a Rebel vanguard named Jos - are separated by at least 40 years spurs sudden feelings in Leia. A rush of unity, for those who continue to fight the good fight despite creed and generational differences, but also shame, that the war still isn't over.

"I hope this works, Poe."

There is a pause before Poe's reply, and it brings the fiery glow of defiance back into Leia's old bones.

"Hope is like the sun, right General?"

* * *

"I see three squads in the the market square, another two patrolling the streets"

Jaytu lowers her macrobinoculars to look at Rose, laying beside her.

"There's a few Scouts guarding this side street too, we'll have to go around."

It was Jaytu who'd spotted the ruin of the bell tower that they now use for observation. They both lay flat, keeping their heads down and their makeshift cloaks wrapped around their heads and helmets. Jaytu yanks at the thick fabric irritably.

"Why do we have to wear this stuff?"

"It's camouflage," replies Rose enthusiastically. "It's to throw off the Stormtroopers. They'll think we're just rowdy villagers until we start blasting. Taking advantage of underestimation is what we do a lot."

Jaytu looks down at Rose's makeshift shawl as if she had been granted a window into true wisdom. Was this really how the Resistance had survived so long?

Poe's crackling voice sounds over Rose's commlink. "Get back here Rose, we're moving in."

"Roger that, General!" replies Rose, but her cheerfulness is soon cut short.

" _ Only _ you, Rose. Jaytu will stay and scout."

Frustration boils in Rose, and she was about to tell Poe  _ exactly  _ where he can stick his order when Jaytu intervenes.

"It's alright, Rose. I don't mind, I understand."

Rose's face is now a sharp mix of anger and sympathy. She refuses to leave Jaytu defenceless. After a moment, Rose takes a small object from her cloak and places it in Jaytu's hands.

"This is all I've got, but it should help."

"How does it work?" Calls Jaytu as Rose descends the stairs of their scouting spot.

"Hold the release and jab them with the sparky end!" Calls back Rose.

Jaytu turns the shock prod over in her hands, blissfully unaware of the sentimental value it holds for Rose Tico. Rose is more concerned with her new friend's safety, chastising herself for not bringing a second blaster pistol. She also chastises Poe even more when she reaches the front. The majority of their forces are here, just over half of their total number. Three companies – one led by General Dameron, one by Major Wexley, and one by Colonel Terex - are gathered inside an abandoned inn. Poe is surveying the squads of Stormtroopers in the market square when Rose jabs her finger sharply into his back.

"What're you thinking? Leaving a new recruit out there unarmed in the middle of a battlefield?!"

Rose expects a swift and heated defence, but Poe merely looks at her apologetically.

"I can't take that chance Rose, not with what's at stake. She's further away from the battle than anyone, so if it all goes well, she'll join us for the celebration. And if it doesn't..."

Poe puts on his warm half smile, remembering the words he'd uttered to Leia not moments ago.

Rose is still annoyed with Poe's hypocrisy, but judges that the success of the battle at hand is more important for now. She'd said her piece and will do so again, but for now, she unclips her blaster from her belt and holds it aloft.

"It  _ will _ go well. For what it's worth, I'm with you General."

Poe snaps out of his tactical analysis for just a moment and really looks at Rose. He'd known her since she joined the Resistance, and he'd known her sister Paige even longer. Poe had lost many friends in this fight but Rose had lost her only sister. Yet here she is, still sticking up for people and ready to fight alongside him. His respect for her can only be matched by her own enthusiasm. He unholsters his own blaster and smiles back.

"Believe me Rose, that's worth a lot."

Terez and Snap approach, blaster rifles at the ready. "We're all set General."

Poe nods.

"The other two teams are in position, we've just gotta make some noise. I'll hold my company here, you two split off and provide cover fire from each side of the square."

Terez wipes snow from her crop of purple hair and grins.

"We've got you Poe."

Snap gives his old friend a confident punch on the shoulder. Poe's gratitude for all these people surrounding him temporarily drowns his nerves.

"May the Force be with us."

Terez and Snap lead their soldiers around opposite perimeters of the square, hiding behind the large brick houses and avoiding leaving their footprints in patches of snow. Poe's company advances cautiously through the square, finding spots of cover behind upturned tables and old speeders. Rose tiptoes around littered trinkets and caches of spoiled herbs, and supposes the Stormtroopers had arrived and suppressed the city quickly and without mercy. Several blaster bolt burns around her suggested she is right. The boiling disdain for the Final Order bubbles away in her chest as she glances over at Poe. He is sizing up the gathering of scarlet armoured troopers ahead of them. They're outnumbered two-to-one already, but they have more than numbers on their side. Poe cannot help but feel a finality to this mission, like the war will soon be over, for better or for worse.

As he squeezes the trigger on his blaster and fells his first foe of the day, he hopes it will be for the better.

* * *

"Insurgents in the market square!" yells a First Order officer. The Stormtroopers guarding the prison leave their posts orderly, gathering in lines of two. The officer addresses them.

"I want those vagrants either dead or incarcerated, and I want it done before we take any more losses!"

The officer's face was blood red as he screamed at his troops. "Now go! Fight and die for the Final Order!"

The lines of Stormtroopers file off into the forest of stone houses that mark the edge of Calrim Guild. Only a handful of scarlet helmets remain, and the officer rounds on them like a hungry predator.

"Spread out and man the cell doors. I don't want any of our guests getting sudden rushes of rebellious spirit."

What the officer doesn't know is the moment he had shown his status in the hierarchy of this prison, his fate was sealed. In truth, he is the acting warden, which gives him certain powers over both the treatment of prisoners and the garrison itself. This, however, doesn't protect him from the bowcaster bolt that soars through the air and catches him in the chest, forcing his body to flip backwards and skid away across the frosted ground. His guard of five Stormtroopers only realise he is dead when two silver orbs bounce towards them and explode. A localised electrical field erupts, rendering most of the guard unconscious. The captain who is left standing manages to fire off two shots into the group of disguised Resistance fighters now approaching. In response, he receives two bolts in the chest and drops to join his comrades.

Chewie approaches to check their foes are down for the count, whilst Leia orders a pair of her soldiers to set up a perimeter.

"R2, check we're alone."

The blue astromech does as he's told, wheeling to the spot where moments ago lines of Stormtroopers had stood. A small radar dish protrudes from his domed head, scanning for lifeforms. The mass of heat that indicates advancing Stormtroopers are still travelling away from them. Satisfied, R2 brings the good news to Leia in high spirits.

"Excellent R2. Now, if you wouldn't mind giving Chewie a hand."

In the shadow of the rectangular prison, Chewie fiddles at a panel beside the double blast door entrance. Being technically minded, he quickly realised opening this door will require both slicing and hotwiring. Chewie takes great pleasure in shouldering his bowcaster and digging his large hands around the control terminal and ripping it free. Leia ducks as the panel soars overhead.

"I know we're in a rush Chewie but don't panic! I trust our contact here."

Chewie concedes a stream of mumbling growls as he bastardises the exposed wiring. R2 approaches the other side of the door, accessing the door terminal and tries to convince it to open. Within minutes they succeed, the large blast doors retreating with grunts of grinding metal.

"Team Cresh is a go, General!" Says Leia into her commlink, triumphantly.

By the stars she hopes Poe's plan goes smoothly, and she dare not entertain the alternative as she, Chewie, R2 and their comrades enter the dingy cells.

3PO remains outside, sticking close to a pair of irritable looking Resistance soldiers.

"Well I'm not going in there, who knows what kind of criminals they've got chained up!"

* * *

"Patrol, do you copy?"

Inside an AT-ST cockpit, a pair of pilots grow wary. For about ten minutes now they'd received no orders from superiors, who relished in keeping them busy. They had appreciated the break from constant work for a while, but a feeling of unease has set in.

"Patrol, what's going on down there?"

One of the pilots looks to the other, alarm shaping his features.

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

Suddenly, the cockpit hatch above them opens. Instead of a face staring down at them, a pair of hands suspends a round looking droid over their heads. Before either of them can utter a word, the droid unsheathes a sharp looking shock prod and squeals as it's dropt inside, the hatch closing behind with a clang. BB-8's round body bounces from wall to wall of the small cockpit, bludgeoning and shocking anything he touches. The pilots yell and scream as they're bombarded, until they're both knocked unconscious. A stream of beeps indicates BB-8 is proud of his work, and the hatch opens again to reveal Finn's grinning face.

"Nice one buddy, you're quite the weapon."

An array of lighters, shock prods, cables and compartments protrudes from BB-8 all at once as he revels in his own success. Finn dumps the two unconscious pilots onto the surrounding platform grating, cuffing them with a pair of binders and replacing them in the driver's seat. He checks on a small beeping device in his pocket, a silver toothed key protruding from the side.

"This should keep us off their scans, and interrupt their comms," Finn tells BB-8. "Can you get this thing up and running?"

BB-8 chirps merrily as he pillages the wire insides of the control hub before him. Finn chuckles and peers out the viewport. The other walker is standing further away, and a pilot now races up the stair and scaffold that holds the walker in place. Finn bites his lip.

"Come on Rey, where are you?"

The pilot reaches the top of the docking scaffold and glances behind him, sure he'd seen an enemy approaching. What he doesn't see is Rey approaching the leg of the walker. With the Force as her ally, she leaps onto the knee joint of the AT-ST and flips up onto its metal head, landing with such precision that her boots barely make a noise on the metal hull. From Finn's point of view, it's as if she glides elegantly through the air.

The pilot turns to open the cockpit hatch but instead comes face to face with Rey. He reaches for his blaster pistol but she draws on a much more powerful weapon. Extending a hand towards his face, she can sense his feelings. Fear, anguish, and fatigue. She summons her strength and presses on his fatigue through the Force. The pilot's body betrays him. His hand swings away from his blaster and droops heavily by his side. A wave of exhaustion overwhelms him, and his body curls forwards as his eyes seek the comforting darkness under his eyelids. Rey catches the collar of his jumpsuit as he slumps forwards, sound asleep.

"Woah," utters Finn, to himself mostly.

Rey lays the pilot carefully on the grating and enters the cockpit of the walker, her voice erupting on his wrist commlink, protected from Rose's slicing key.

"Hope you weren't waiting long. Ready?"

Finn's walker suddenly jolts to life, BB-8 beeping excitedly.

"Ready as I'll ever be!" He replies to Rey, a hint of nervousness coming through. "Let's go and get Poe out of trouble!"

Finn and BB-8's walker lurches forward, advancing into the city with Rey just lagging behind. All is going to plan, and Rey hasn't sensed the telltale cold ripple in the Force that signals the arrival of the Knights of Ren. The vision of their victory floats to the surface of her mind, and she pushes it down, gripping the controls, fighting her won't allow it to rule her.

* * *

"That's excellent Finn!"

Poe yells his reply into his comm, the sounds of blaster fire ringing in his ears. He crouches behind an overturned cart, peppered with enemy blaster bolts.

"Get to us as fast as you can!"

His leadership reflexes kicking in, Poe surveys the ongoing battle. His team has been pushed back, the backup from the prison tripling the Stormtroopers already outnumbering them. Terez and Snap's fighters are unable to keep providing them with cover fire, now dealing with battles of their own. The square is a blasted battlefield now, with the Stormtroopers pushing out towards their perimeter command posts. Poe checks his blaster has cooled and prepares to return fire. The only way the Resistance wins the day is through trust, to believe that help is coming. He swears on the red sun of Yavin he will not break his belief this day. Poe swings around the corner of the cart, his blaster erupting in a burst of blue bolts.

" _ For the Resistance!" _

* * *

The torchlight from R2's dome leads the way through the corridor of cells. The incarcerated patrons of  _ Calrim Guild _ are, so far, a vicious looking lot. One bounty hunter peers at the approaching Resistance fighters from his ray-shielded cell, his pale head attached bizarrely atop a large droid body. Another outlaw bares his gallery of sharp yellowing teeth at Leia, who continues forward without even glancing around. These spacers are indeed as dangerous as they appear, but there is a reason the Resistance are here to rescue them. That reason sits alone in an end cell, which R2 unlocks. As the cell's ray-shield disappears, its occupant stirs.

"I told you Officer Baroc, you'll get nothing from me," comes a low and curiously mechanical voice from the inside of the cell. "I do not command these people, I simply provide them a place away from you and your lovely armoured friends."

The door slides open and the interior is flooded with torchlight. A man sits in the corner of the bare cell, wrapped in a large collared coat and shrouded helmet. He pulls himself uneasily to his feet, preparing for the worst. He gets quite the opposite.

"I should hope you pull some sway at least, or this day is going to be harder than I expected."

Leia fills the doorway, propping herself up on her cane and looking as determined as ever. The man reels.

"Princess? Is that you?"

Leia nods, nostalgic at the old honorific term.

"The Resistance needs your help. We're running the Final Order out of the city but we need you and your consorts aid. Can you help us 'Baron'?"

Leia had used the title in jest, and the Baron chuckles. He removes his helmet and speaks in a voice now filled with charm.

"For you, Princess, I'm sure we can put our skills to good use."

* * *

The streets are just wide enough for Finn and Rey to drive their walkers in single file. The characteristic  _ 'CLUNK! CLUNK!'  _ of their large flat feet warn any city dwellers left to stay well within their homes. Rey can sense their fear, like a haze of thick mist clinging to the powdered roofs.

"The square is just up ahead!" Finn's tinny voice echoes around the cockpit. "Have we got anything to worry about?"

Rey can tell Finn didn't really know how to properly refer to her abilities, and for good reason; they aren't easily defined. To be able to connect with the world around in such a way baffles Finn, but he is starting to understand, and that comforts Rey.

"People here are scared of the walkers." She replies.

Finn grimaces at BB-8 sitting next to him. "Yeah I used to be scared of them too. Soon they won't have to worry."

Rey's perky smile returns to her face. "We can do this."

But something catches in Rey's extra senses, like a sudden ripple in the web of interconnected life around her. She doesn't only sense fear amongst the villagers, she senses something more. Something worse.  _ Malice. _

Rey stops her walker and closes her eyes, her consciousness expanding past the barrier of her body and enveloping outward. Finn calls her from the comm but his voice seems to echo from far away. She feels she could have encompassed the whole city in her awareness if she wished, but finds what she searches for. Two figures move towards her, ducking low behind an old city wall. They are moving with the discipline and pace of trained warriors, but their insides burn with a cocktail of vice no warrior would entertain. A thirst, to hunt, to maim, to kill. When she finally recognizes their particular hate for Jedi, she turns the walker to face the wall and fires it's cannons. Two familiar shrouded figures jump away from the blast, aided by the Force. Vicrul draws his vibroscythe and Cardo retrieves a handful of detonators from his belt. The Knights of Ren have found her.

"Finn, get to the square," commands Rey as she turns the walker to follow Vicrul as he tries to find cover behind a ruin. "I'm right behind you."

The explosive shot of the walker sends Vicrul rolling backwards, but Cardo is quick. Two bombs fly through the air towards the cockpit of the walker. Her instincts still sharp, Rey turns the body of the walker to maneuver backwards, and the two bombs fall short and violently explode the cobbled street between them. Rey prepares another flurry of blaster fire but this time, both Knights are ready. They dash towards the walker with sudden bursts of speed, ducking beneath Rey's line of sight. Rey drives the walker forward to counter their speed and evasion, but an explosion rocks the cockpit, and the walker crumbles like a felled tree.

Pushing the hatch open, Rey throws herself away from the walker. She can see the smoking remains of the it's left leg still standing. One of Cardo's explosives has melted through the thick metal, resulting in her crash. The two figures emerge from the smoke as she tosses aside her singed cloak and draws her blaster and staff, readying her body and mind for a fight. Vicrul opens his arms, welcoming.

"Be warned, we've taken no orders of hesitation this time, Jedi."

Cardo loads a detonator into his wrist launcher with glee. But Rey sees through their act, having been present when they were ordered to find the temple by their Master.

"So you ignored your orders to hunt me down instead? How rebellious," she mocks. "I'm sure your Master will be as merciful with you as he was with the brute who challenged him."

Vicrul and Cardo grit their teeth beneath their metal shrouds, beginning to circle Rey. The walker smoulders behind them.

"Kylo Ren is weak, we are our  _ own _ masters!"

Rey sneers, amused by their ignorance.

"Ben Solo is stronger than all of you, I wonder when you'll realise that?"

She swings her staff and points it threateningly at Vicrul. "Probably too late, just as you now realise your presence here was a mistake too. I  _ will  _ stop that prophecy."

Rey waits for realisation to dawn on her attackers. How did she know? Questions explode within their heads, breaking their concentration for only a moment of hesitation, which Rey takes advantage of. She lunges forward, the bulky end of her staff jabbing at Vicrul's head. He deflects but retreats backwards. Whilst on the backfoot, Rey spins around Vicrul, placing him between herself and the bomb Cardo had just thrown at her. The bomb explodes and dowses Vicrul's coat in flames. He yells, rolling onto his back and ripping his coat from his shoulders. Showing no hesitation for his fallen ally, Cardo continues his flurry of airborne explosives. Rey reaches into the Force. The bombs freeze in midair and collide with each other, the blast close enough to knock Cardo backwards. Panting from the effort, Rey's commlink buzzes.

"Rey? Who are you fighting? Is it  _ them _ ?"

Rey retreats beyond Cardo's range and keeps an eye on Vicrul, who is still attempting to detangle himself from his burning coat.

"I can handle myself Finn, the mission is more important."

She twirls her staff ready in one hand and raises her blaster, unleashing a flurry of bolts at Vicrul as he regains his footing. "It's  _ my _ job to deal with them."

The channel buzzes closed as Rey turns off her commlink. A while away, Finn halts his walker, indecision paralysing him. Rey was right of course, but doing things alone often ends in tragedy. He'd learnt that lesson the hard way.

Rey ducks, side-steps, and leaps gracefully between the savage arcs of Vicrul's vibroscythe and Cardo's bomb blasts with ease. The Force is with her, and their anger is restricting the little finesse they have. Vicrul draws closer, whilst Cardo growls in frustration as another detonator betrays his aim, spinning away harmlessly, and he lunges for Rey. With a subtle push from the Force, Vicrul's momentum reverses and he falls backwards into Cardo's path. Rey smirks triumphantly as they crumple in a heap.

"The  _ 'Mighty'  _ Knights of Ren."

But Vicrul has reached his limit. Pulling a compact blaster from his undershirt, he fires a flurry of shots at Rey. She darts backwards, but not before two bolts singe her cheek and shoulder. Vicrul advances, levelling the blaster with glee.

"Don't mock us,  _ pretender. _ "

Rey darts behind a wall to escape the next barrage of laser fire. Cardo gets to his feet as Vicrul closes in on their prey.

"I know all about you, the  _ nobody _ pretending to be a Jedi _. _ "

Rey's heart stops at  _ That Word _ . She had thought, no, hoped that they had known little more about her than she does them. But as Vicrul continues, she realizes how wrong she is.

"An abandoned orphan, so ashamed of her past she can't even admit it to herself."

The bricks above her head explode as blaster bolts hit them, and Rey leaps behind a large stone well, just in time. The spot where she was crouching explodes as an impact grenade detonates. Through the smoke she can just make out two menacing figures approaching, Vicrul hoisting his blaster and brandishing his blade.

"You can't even admit it to your allies." He continues, full of spite. "How will they fare when they realise? When your secret is out? The Resistance needed  _ Luke Skywalker _ , they needed a Jedi, but instead they got  _ you. _ "

Rey challenges the bubbling tears inside her with a sharp intake of breath. They may have had her riled for a moment, but these words now reveal how little they know. She'd heard the same insults many times, in her own voice. And these two strangers could never be as cutting, as sharp, as spiteful as her own self-disappointment. But they are all wrong. She'd brought Luke back to the fight, she'd reached Ben when no one else could, and she had saved the Resistance. And she will do so again.

"I  _ was  _ nobody," she admits. "But not anymore."

Her voice is so low, it is almost a whisper. She readies her blaster.

"And especially not to Ben."

Vicrul cackles darkly from within the dust of the explosion, and it is Cardo's turn to bludgeon Rey's morale.

"Kylo Ren does not think as you do, he will not fail us. And if he does…" Cardo licks his cracked lips from beneath his mask. "...We'll kill him too."

The bubbling sadness that Rey so desperately keeps at bay is suddenly overwhelmed by white hot rage. How dare they threaten him, the one person who'd not looked away, the one person who'd seen the  _ real _ Rey. She screams in anger and whirls around the stone well, pointing her blaster at Cardo's blank helmet, but her weapon betrays her. The pistol is wrenched from her fingers, flying into Cardo's outstretched hand. No sooner has the red haze receded from her vision when Vicrul's vibroscythe flashed before her face, aiming to cleave her head in two. She stumbles backwards blindly, fumbling with her staff to defend, but Vicrul is ferocious. The curved blade comes down again and again on her blunt scavenger staff, cutting deep gashes in the metal pole. With a flourish Vicrul slashes, and the staff snaps in two. Rey holds the pieces in her hands, as the two warriors bear down upon her.

Rey's blood runs cold.

* * *

"Fall back! Fall back!"

Poe runs desperately towards cover, shouting into his commlink and grabbing soldiers by the scruff of their tunics, dragging them with him.

"The square is lost, fall back!"

He ducks behind a pile of crates and peers into the oncoming horde. Over a hundred Stormtroopers march forward through the square, a sea of violent red. Poe grits his teeth; they're running out of time.

"Rose?!" He calls out to either side. "Where are you?"

Poe leers at the square and suddenly spots the steady bop of a ponytail tied by electrical wire. To his horror, Rose is pinned down behind an upturned cart, alone. Two Stormtroopers overheat their blasters into the makeshift shield she hides behind, and a third is flanking from the side. Poe yells in desperation and throws himself forward, blaster ready, but someone rushes past him, already running. It takes him a moment to take in the dark hair, vest, and body glove before he realises it is Jaytu. As the Stormtrooper takes aim at Rose, Jaytu throws herself into them with full force. The Stormtrooper jerks madly as Jaytu drives the shock prod into their belly. Poe catches up behind the cart as Jaytu picks up Rose by the arm, and Poe can see she's been shot. Jaytu carries her away from the square whilst Poe covers them, guiding several blaster bolts home into the chests of advancing Stormtroopers. He follows the ex-Stormtrooper inside an abandoned house, where plenty of their soldiers have fallen back too. Jaytu doesn't look at Poe as she rouses her friend.

"Rose? Are you ok?"

Rose groans in pain, and mumbles something. Jaytu fumbles through the medpac on Rose's belt, hands trembling.

"Just direct me, I'm sure you'll be fine."

Poe watches, speechless, then looks around at his surrounding forces. They have lost at least twenty of their number in the attack, and conceded both ground and the element of surprise. A wide-eyed lieutenant approaches him, purple blood trickling down her temple.

"Orders, General?"

Poe breathes sharply, readying himself.

"Form-up Lieutenant, we defend from here til the other teams reach us. We've got to give them more time."

The young soldier nods, and Poe hopes beyond hope that backup will be here soon.

* * *

Rey braces to feel the cold steel of Vicrul's blade, or the burn of Cardo's blaster fire, but instead her ears are assaulted by a nearby explosion.

The stone well that she had been hiding behind explodes, catching both Cardo and Vicrul in the back with debris and dust. Rey stares, shocked for a moment, before a familiar silhouette and clang of huge footfalls announces the arrival of an AT-ST. BB-8's chirps sound through the walker's speaker and her heart seems to overflow with warmth. But her foes stir.

Rey's hands tremble as she holds the useless hunks of metal that once formed her trusty staff. She is weaponless, defenceless. A sudden image appears in her mind; Luke, tossing his father's lightsaber over a cliff. She chastises herself for forgetting the First Lesson; she is never defenceless. As Vicrul and Cardo get to their feet, she lets the two halves of the staff tumble to the ground, and simply breathes.

Vicrul mistakes her calm for surrender, and wastes no time stabbing at her with his vibroscythe. He strikes nothing but air as Rey leaps over his head, placing her hands on the sides of his helmet and twisting. Suddenly, Vicrul is completely blind as he stares at the back of his helmet. He claws at his eyes for a moment before he is thrown into a stone wall head first, where he crumples unconscious. Rey lowers her hand from where she just threw Vicrul and turns to face Cardo. He sneers, feinting with her blaster to throw a flame grenade at her from point blank range. But she is quicker than before. The grenade hisses with sparks as it circles Rey in a harmless arc and speeds back to meet its owner in the chest. Cardo screams as angry red flames race up his coat, but Rey outstretches a hand. Cardo lifts into the air and shots towards her, his head coming to stop in her palm. Rey reaches into his mind and presses on the fatigue growing in his body. Immediately, Cardo becomes limp and Rey drops him to the ground, fast asleep. Rey releases her concentration and exhales, fatigued.

"Whoa," says a voice above her.

Finn had opened the walker hatch and watched as Rey had taken out both Knights. She suffocates the flames on Cardo's coat and reaches up a hand towards Finn.

"Thanks for the save, throw me down some binders."

Finn does so, and Rey secures the two Knights to a large metal bar on the outside of an inn.

"They'll be out for sometime, let's get back to the mission."

Finn can tell Rey is trying to deflect. They both enter the walker with BB-8, and he commands it forward, towards the square. Finn waits a moment before bringing it up.

"Rey, why did you tell us to leave?"

BB-8 sits between them, and he swivels his head to look at Rey. She smiles, sadly.

"The mission was more important."

"You know what I mean, you didn't have to go it alone."

BB-8 chirps in agreement, and Rey privately admits to herself that they are right. It's not that she  _ can't _ do this alone, it's that she  _ doesn't have to. _ She chastises herself for her brief recklessness and grins at her two old friends.

"Yeah, you're right Finn. I owe you one." She shoots Finn a knowing glance. "Don't think I'll forget it."

Finn flashes his charismatic grin back at her. "I'll remember that,  _ Jedi.  _ Anyway, let's see how much trouble Poe is in."

He runs his fingers across the cockpit dials, and finds the Final Order commlink. Disabling the device Rose had given him, the comm roars into life. Shouts and voices criss cross over each other. Rey can't make out who is saying what, but Finn is familiar with Stormtrooper codes, and terror floods him.

"They've taken the square."

* * *

Snap's company had been forced to retreat, abandoning their previous command post behind the ruin of a city wall and fleeing for more robust cover. Thirty Resistance soldiers now form up between two stone settlements whilst the evolving mass of Stormtroopers presses on them, peppering their new safe haven with blaster fire. These enemy lines are being commanded by Captain Garan, a grizzled Final Order officer who regards the lives of his troops as galactic credits; throw enough at a problem, and the problem goes away.

"Fight and die for the Final Order!" Yells Garan, repeating the motto drummed into recruits. "We will inherit the galaxy!"

The lines of troopers before him comply silently, advancing towards Snap's retreating company and a hail of blaster fire. Garan sneers as he surveys the three holdouts across the square. He has both the men and the command to push them back. But he could always do with some more.

"You, HF-3311!" He yells, pointing at a trooper before him. "Where is your commanding Officer? Where is Officer Baroc?"

Unbeknownst to both Captain Garan and HF-3311, Baroc lay dead in the snow half a mile away in the shadow of the prison, along with most of his guard too.

"Officer Baroc sent us to assist sir, we have had no new orders since then."

"Tsk," scoffs Garan. "So he wants to play keep away, hmm? No matter."

Garan points a pale finger behind him to the upper right corner of the market square, where Colonel Terez and her soldiers are making a valiant stand.

"Take your repeating blasters and break their last lines, HF-3311. I don't care how many men it takes. If you fail, you'll be the first in line for  _ Reconditioning _ ."

HF-3311 manages to conceal his shudder beneath his armour and helmet. "Y-yes sir!"

The young trooper rushes off, relaying these orders to his fellow squadmates, who hoist FWMB-10 repeating blasters onto their shoulders and sprint for the building where Terez and her company are hauled up. A single one of these large, forward-mounted blasters can damage even the hull of a starfighter, but three of them can force a building to crumble. Captain Garan smirks as he watches HF-3311 hurry off and peers to the bottom of the square. Poe has pulled his company inside for cover, and they are on their last legs. That leaves only Snap's soldiers as the real threat.

"Time to get this done."

Captain Garan advances, ordering his troopers forward with more shouts of "Fight and die for the Final Order!" The narrow street slowly fills with Stormtrooper bodies as Snap's soldiers make their stand. Snap himself is trying to keep morale high despite dread filling his stomach. He teeters on calling for full retreat when a familiar voice sounds behind him.

"We'll take it from here, Snap."

Snap's whirls around to lay eyes on Leia and her team slowly advancing and joining their ranks. His face breaks in desperate gratitude.

"Am I glad to see you General, and-"

But words fail him at what he sees next. A man stands just behind Leia, a grandiose collared coat and slick blaster pistol drawn. He has a crop of handsome curls and a moustached grin that Snap remembers well. The man opens his arms in warm recognition and pulls Snap into a hug.

"Young Temmin Wexley, you've grown!"

Snap pulls away, hardly able to believe his eyes.

"General Calrissian! Where-what-?"

Snap trips over his words yet again. Lando Calrissian simply beams back at him.

"It's  _ Baron _ , now Snap," he says with a wink. "Always on to new opportunities. Anyway, down to the task at hand; where do you need us?"

Snap looks past the famous rebellion heroes to the large group at their back, and is suddenly unnerved. Snap looks over an assortment of possibly the crudest looking characters he'd ever seen, all evidently bounty hunters, pirates, and thieves. He barely has time to take in their ferocious appearances - one stares at him with seven milky eyes, another gnashes his teeth from behind a metal visor, and a short troop of Deymasolians all armed with vibro-knives - before Leia returns his focus to their immediate survival.

"We'll take it from here, Major. You and your company provide us cover fire."

Snap nods slowly, and Lando opens his arms to his monstrous consortium.

"Gentlemen, I'm not going to waste anybody's time-"

A rumble of gruff laughter goes up from a few of the older bounty hunters. Lando chuckles in recognition and continues;

"Let's show these kids how it's done. Let's take back our city!"

The freed prisoners roar in agreement, lifting crude blaster rifles, bladed weapons and makeshift bludgeons. Chewbacca adds to the din with a deep howl, making 3PO beside him shake like a leaf in the wind. The noise can be heard in the square, where it strikes fear into Captain Garan and his advancing soldiers. Suddenly, the street ahead of them is not being defended from cover, but fill with ravenous looking soldiers. Garan recognises an eight foot tall mass of white fur as a Gigoran mercenary named Jnngen, just as she barrels through his front line with a single outstretched arm. Following her, a cyborg bounty hunter grins excitedly as he unleashes a barrage of blaster bolts upon Garan's soldiers, felling seven of them as he advances ferociously. Garan takes a step back instinctively, out of fear, but his officer training soon kicks in.

"Fight and die for the Final Order!" He screams at his soldiers' backs. "Don't let them take our birthright!"

He turns to check on the other command posts. HF-3311 has done as commanded, now attacking the building that protects Terez's soldiers. Garan is just questioning where their artillery backup is when the sound of large metal footfalls answers him. The lumbering rectangular head of an AT-ST enters the square behind the three repeating blasters, but Garan watches in horror as it opens fire and destroys all three, the gunmen fleeing. Colonel Terez is just as surprised from her spot inside a disused mess hall, but her commlink buzzs in answer.

"We've got you Colonel," says Finn's voice. "But we'll need your backup to win this."

Terez's purple lips curl into a grin. "It's a damn miracle to hear your voice Commander. We're right behind you, Finn!"

Finn and Rey beam at each other from within the cockpit. The AT-ST lurches into the square, Stormtroopers backing away at just the sight of it. Finn targets spots of cover with their blaster cannon, forcing troopers to retreat and bidding enough time for the Colonel to flank her forces either side of them. United, they push the Stormtroopers back, and notice that Team Cresh, snap's soldiers, and their liberated prisoners mirror the movements on the other side of the square. The throng of Stormtroopers are being speared from three sides. Members of both Resistance and Final Order know it; the tide has turned.

"Don't retreat!" Yells Captain Garan as he almost trips over himself fleeing the AT-ST. "Stand your ground! Fight! Die for the Final Order!"

But the Stormtroopers are taking heavy losses, and continue to back into the square. They now bump backs with the forces who have been keeping Poe's soldiers at bay. General Dameron himself now peeps a look over the wall he is using for cover.

"They're here!" He whispers triumphantly to his remaining gaggle soldiers. "We've made it!"

He looks over at Jaytu and Rose, who are just recovering. A bacta patch dresses Rose's wound, but her forehead still glistens with sweat as Jaytu supports her upright. Poe nods at Jaytu as Rose stirs, unholstering her blaster.

"Don't you count me out General, I can still fight," she growls at him.

A genuine grin crosses Poe's face.

"Not on your life, Rose."

He opens his commlink to all Resistance channels.

"This is General Dameron. All teams, advance. Rid this city of Stormtroopers!"

With that, Poe flings himself around cover and lets loose a flurry of bolts upon his foes. Rose and Jaytu, and so does the rest of Poe's company with a roar of triumph.

The battle in the square becomes a free-for-all. Leia, Chewie, Snap, Lando, and their mismatched soldiers push forward slowly, pushing the line of troopers back with little effort. Finn and Rey pilot AT-ST into the crowd of Stormtroopers, making use of flash grenades to disorient clumps of enemies whilst Terez leads her soldiers to take ground. All is going triumphantly for the Resistance, but something is amiss, Finn can sense it. He doesn't have to listen to the panicked cries for orders coming from the cockpit comms - he can  _ feel _ the fear of the Stormtroopers as they face terrifying odds. Worst of all, he can feel their influence in the Force suddenly fade away as more and more are cut down. Finn grits his teeth against this sensation, angry at himself for his complicity in this battle. Is it even a battle if they've already won?

He looks to Rey, and finds the same distress mirrored in her face. Finn halts the AT-ST and activates his commlink.

"Poe, they've had enough. We can sense they're defeated, let's end this peacefully."

In the very heat of their counterattack with the fire of righteous retribution boiling his blood, General Poe Dameron mishears Finn's words. When Finn repeats them, Poe's frustration boils over.

"This isn't the time, Finn! You have your orders!"

Finn grits his teeth. "Poe this is  _ wrong _ . We've won, nobody else needs to die!"

But Poe had seen too many die today to turn back now. "We need this win. You have your orders!"

Finn slams his fist on the cockpit console. Rey puts a hand on his shoulder, and looks deep into his anguished face. Finn knows without need for words that she is with him, and he makes his decision. He pulls from his pocket the circular device with a sliver toothed key that Rose had given him - they'd used it to jam the enemies comms. He takes a hold of the silver key and turns it counter-clockwise. The polarity reverses - instead of blocking scans and comms he can broadcast a pirate signal instead. Finn takes a deep breath, holds the jammer commlink to his mouth, and locks eyes with Rey before taking the plunge.

"Stormtroopers, this is Commander Finn of the Resistance. You are surrounded, outnumbered and outgunned. Lay down your weapons, and we will accept your surrender peacefully."

The bedlam of blasterfire pauses for breath as Resistance and Final Order soldiers hesitate. Finn's heart beats, uncontrollably. His commlink beeps but he ignores it. This could work, he can save lives, maybe even help them, like Jaytu-

"Stormtroopers, there will be no surrender." Captain Garan's voice is breathless over the cockpit comms. "Do your duty to the galaxy. Fight! Fight and die for the Final O-"

But Finn has heard enough.

"There is no need to throw down your lives for a cause you were  _ forced  _ to fight for! The city is ours, and we will not punish any Stormtrooper who surrenders willingly."

The blasterfire outside has truly halted now. Finn can hear Garan attempting to talk over him but Rose's jammer is too powerful. He lifts himself up and opens the cockpit hatch, staring out onto the battlefront before him. Despite how much he loathes the appearance of Stormtrooper armoUr, he feels nothing but sympathy for those forced to wear it. Many of them have gathered in clumps, cowering behind carts and crates, unable to protect themselves as they are surrounded. Finn realises what Garan threatens his soldiers with and uses it against him.

"There will be no Reconditioning in the Resistance, I swear to it. Please, for your own sake, surrender."

A single shot goes off as a Stormtrooper aims his rifle at Captain Garan. A flash of blue light dazzles, and the vulgar man drops to his knees, unconscious from the stun blast. Then, HF-3311 throws down his blaster with an echoing clatter and lifts his hands above his head. Several of his squadmates look at each other, then follow suit. Clumps of Stormtroopers discard their weapons, standing tentatively with their hands raised in open surrender. Rey, who had helped hoist Finn up through the hatch, shakes him excitedly. Finn can scarcely believe what he is seeing. As the final blaster hit the floor, a cheer goes up from Colonel Terez below, that carries across to Snap's mismatched company and down to Poe's soldiers. The Resistance has won!

Finn watches the sight in a daze. Over 300 Stormtroopers are present, and he'd saved them, along with any Resistance soldiers who would've lost their lives in the final struggle. Finn quickly gets a hold of himself and lifts the altered commlink to his lips once more.

"Please form lines so that we may restrain and confiscate your weapons."

He falls back on Stormtrooper protocol, as it is both known to him and them. He re-enters the cockpit to a song of whistles by BB-8 and Rey's beaming face.

"Finn you did it!" Rey exclaims with pride. "You saved them!"

Finn shrugs, embarrassed at his own sweeping success. "I guess I'm just lucky."

Rey shakes her head. "I'm starting to doubt there is such a thing."


	7. Part II - The Temple

The largest personal quarters aboard the Finalizer belong to Admiral Hux. A large forward facing window fills the space, protected by several layers of glass and shielding. An impressive cabinet and bed are contained within, but remain untouched as Armitage Hux hasn't slept in several days. Since he'd failed to capture the Resistance on Brentaal IV, he'd ordered the entire crew to remain awake til they found a lead. In truth, his life depends on it. He has precious time before his and Ren's confrontation, which he is certain will end in one of their deaths.

Hux smirks to himself. Ren seriously believes he can take his own army away from him? Ludicrous. It isn't the fear of his rival that forces him to stay awake, the reason his crop of orange hair now drapes across his tired eyes as he searches through reports, holoimages, surveillance footage and informants. The reason is that Armitage Hux hates losing. He has been preparing for the culling of Kylo Ren and his crazed followers for some time now, but had been completely blindsided by the miraculous escape of the Resistance. He had control over all variables, all the power - tracking, soldiers, forewarning - yet they had escaped regardless. The audacity of the Resistance to ignore rules, to succeed time and again despite his deliberate pilfering of odds and advantage, is what angers Hux the most. And his anger stings because, as the illegitimate son of a cadet commander and possessing little in the way of talent and luck, their success in the face of certain failure mirrors his own.

He pauses his brooding and gets up from the long sleek desk. A handsome black cabinet behind him houses his personal favourite brand of bitter tarine tea in the top drawer, and a bottle of something a lot stronger in the drawer underneath. Hux is a man of impeccable discipline, and so he pours the instantly heated tea into a cup and drinks. The bottle in the second drawer will remain untouched. For now. A sudden noise almost makes him regret it.

The buzz and steady flash of his desk holocomm fills the room, followed by a dreadful, siren-like noise that Hux loathes. There are only several people and several reasons for it to sound, so Hux smooths his hair back, and checks his white uniform for creases. Setting the tea down, he accepts the incoming call and looks into the grizzled face of Admiral Griss. Hux fills himself with hollow, artificial clam.

"Admiral Hux," greets Griss, gruffly.

"Admiral Griss, to what do I owe this intrusion?"

Though both men are of the same rank, Hux has to keep Griss at bay. Griss had been an officer in the previous imperial army, and it is Hux's opinion that the stink of defeat still clings to his ideals. Hux will not allow anything to contaminate the Final Order. If Griss is annoyed by Hux's rudeness, he hides it well.

"Scouting sweeps have come back negative, Admiral. The Resistance has not fled to any core worlds, previous outposts, or ventured into Final Order controlled space."

Being told things he already knew is probably one of Hux's least favourite past times. Even so, he can now guess the reason for the call. Griss continues.

"Senior Command grows restless," which is Officer lingo for he, Admiral Griss, is growing impatient. "Without any leads on the Resistance we must consider retreating to Othkore."

Hux scoffs loudly, so that it translates well over holoimage.

"Concede defeat? Oh I don't think so, Admiral. The Resistance are on the run with less than a fleet of ships and no bases or allies left. Your failure to see the advantage held over them speaks volumes of your faith in the Final Order, and your tactical reasoning."

Hux allows a moment for his words to land. Griss' cheek bones sharpen, but he says nothing. Hux continues.

"As I have said, we will comb every informer, every shred of surveillance we have until we find them. And that is an order."

Hux disconnects the call on the last syllable to really rub Griss' nose in it. The Admiral is supposedly a tactical genius, but as of late his repertoire consists of strategic retreats and losing soldiers to outdated hit-and-run tactics. After Kylo Ren and his rabble of delinquents are eliminated, Hux decides Griss will be next. He approaches the cabinet once more and drinks hungrily from his bitter tea, trying to summon some genuine calm in place of the façade he currently holds. He is immediately interrupted by the buzz of the comm again.

Hux almost crushes the cup in his gloved hand with pure vexation. The comm was instead coming from the bridge, which means it has to be some lowly officer. Resisting the urge to throw the tea across the room and scream, Hux opens the comm and growls into it.

"What?!"

The responding voice is frantic, but almost excitable.

"Admiral, there's something you should see!"

Fear suddenly floods Hux. He had made several orders through his various lietanants to curate and conceal a number of fail-safe plans. This particular underling he'd tasked with a very important mission regarding his continued control of the Stormtroopers. Jeopardizing that outcome could spell complete disaster when he finally springs his trap on Kylo Ren.

"If I am about to hear a problem with the mission you have already reported to me as a success, know I will be very displeased."

"Absolutely not, Admiral. It's concerning the Resistance. We have a lead."

Glee floods Hux's tired brain as his lip curls into a boyish sneer.

"Come to my quarters at once, Lieutenant. Speak to no one. Stop for no one."

"Yes, Admiral!" And the commlink goes dead. In the privacy of his quarters, Hux clenches a gloved fist. Nothing will get in the way of establishing order to the galaxy, and the Resistance's luck has finally run out.

* * *

The descent to the Oracle is dark and unpleasant. A foul stench of rotting plant matter wafts up the tunnel that Kylo Ren, Ap'lek, Trudgen, Kuruk and Ushar now traverse. The smell reminds Ren of the rotting garden where he'd first met Snoke. He shakes his head slightly, trying to banish the memories his tangle with the labyrinth had reanimated. But he can't shake his suspicion of the Oracle, mystified as to why he had relieved trying moments in his life for her amusement. As if in answer to his skepticism, the words of the warped vision of Snoke rise to the surface of his mind.

'Kylo Ren' is not your creation, he is mine!

But Snoke was wrong. Kylo Ren is the name he'd chosen, abandoning the shackles of his old identity and reforging himself anew. There isn't any possibility Snoke had used him for his power, because he'd chosen to learn under him, to join the Knights of Ren. These were all things he had chosen.

Weren't they?

Ren's thoughts are interrupted as the descending tunnel ends, revealing a huge atrium. Ren halts, a few steps ahead of his warriors who stop too. The cave ceiling is high, and judging by their descent, directly underneath the labyrinth. Around the walls protrude pale roots, which secrete a slightly purple liquid into a deep pool which takes up most of the room. The surface of the water shimmers with the same mist that had surrounded Ren earlier, and he can sense the Oracle's presence as all five of them approach the bank of the lake. The bubbling liquid is oily and smells of rotting flesh. Trudgen shoulders his cleaver and kneels, unsheathing a vibrodagger and dipping it into the liquid. He brings it up to his helm for closer inspection. He let a drop fall onto the corner of his hide tabard, which immediately turns a toxic green colour and erodes away.

"It's poison, Master." Trudgen says in his gravelly tone. "More potent than I have ever seen."

As the most weapon-enthused member of the Knights of Ren, this says plenty. Ren does not know much of Trudgen's dead life before he remade himself among them, but whispers and jeers of the 'penny-mercenary' are common. Regardless, Ren wants his audience with the Oracle to be as uninterrupted and private as possible, so he takes advantage of Trudgen's fascination.

"Stay here and harvest as much as you can," he orders to all four of his followers. "We will make use of it in the future. I will converse with the Oracle."

Amongst the mist, Ren notices a broken stone walkway ending in a raised cliff facing out onto the bubbling pool. He climbs the mismatched steps, but Kuruk and Ap'lek motion to follow.

"Master, we-"

Ren holds up a hand to silence them, his orders clear. They both bow their heads, and rejoin Ushar and Trudgen in siphoning poison from the pool. Ren watches them go for just a moment before continuing into the mist. Their chatter falls away unnaturally as he ascends the stones, the mist parting before him almost welcomingly. Only the echo of his own footsteps can be heard as Ren reaches the peak. Then, the sound of a large mass wading through the lake greets him, growing louder as a large shape materialises through the mist.

The Oracle's appearance in the smoke and flame made her look more grandiose and elegant than the creature approaching Kylo Ren. The surface of the poison pool is breached by a large head, with red skin and pointed ears. Its short nose bob just above the bubbling liquid, it's eyes closed as if asleep. The rest of its body must be submerged, deep in the pool. Atop the head sits the Oracle. Her flat face, six arms, eight legs and pale wet skin remind Ren of a sea creature, a bottom dwelling crustacean that abandoned its shell long ago. Multiple folds of dark robes layer over her chest and arms, her legs ending in forked fingers that gripped the head she clings atop. A pair of spherical earrings dangle from her face, as pale as the staring eyes that now search the cloaked man before her. Her wrinkled mouth opens to reveal rows of thin teeth.

"Welcome, and congratulations for leaving my labyrinth traversed. I see you have changed since last we conversed."

Ren says nothing. He merely stares up at the creature now towering above him. She cocks her head, amused.

"It seems you resent the truth, why? It can be used to help, if you try."

She intertwines six of her long fingers, matching his defiant stare with her own curiosity. Ren bows his head finally.

"The future you saw, the prophecy. It's not what I want."

"The path of the war will change most radically. What issue do you take with the Knights of Ren dominating the galaxy?"

Ren looks sharply up at her. She isn't talking loud enough for his comrades to hear, but still, his heart beats fast. His manoeuvres counter to the Knights of Ren must not be revealed. Guilt and frustration tinge his words.

"The Knights of Ren wish to destroy, but I wish to rebuild. Nothing is more important."

"Nothing you say? Or is it nobody in the way?"

Ren stares in shock. He had been wrestling with this same question. If it comes down to holding his victory in one hand, and Rey in the other, which will he choose? Deep down, the truth is there. And the Oracle knows it too, but his path of realisation must be walked alone.

"Then speak your question, but be warned. Know that you will get this chance only once, so make sure your query is formed. And before you consider who, what, or when; remember the question and the asker are of equal importance, Master Ren."

The warrior who had entered the labyrinth was named Kylo Ren, but the man who stands before the Oracle now freezes at the name. He is not his Father's foolish son, but he is not Snoke's deluded apprentice either. So who asks the question? He does not know, but he wants to. Beyond that, there is something he yearns to know even more. He gazes into the Oracle's pale eyes and speaks in a mere whisper.

"How do I win the war?"

The Oracle's six arms open outwards, like petals on a flower, and she tilts her head back and stares, wide. Her mouth lulls open for a few moments, then she snaps her neck forward to peer down at Ren before her, her voice echoing loudly around the cavern as she speaks with an ethereal tone.

"The Prophecy I foretold is already in motion. The Temple has been found by the foe of the Knights of Ren, though unaware of this notion."

"The clash between the two factions will culminate the great war, during the coming attack by the Resistance upon Othkore."

"A pair with bonds sealed in blood will reforge a crystal in the molten heart of the Temple. They shall wield power beyond imagining, that will make the galaxy tremble."

"Continue down this path with vigour, and this is how Kylo Ren wins the war..."

Ushar, Ap'lek, Trudgen and Kuruk cheer behind Ren. It is clear that this new information is a near guarantee of their victory. But Ren's blood has turned cold, and his worst fears materialise as the Oracle finishes her answer to his question.

"...Hope will be killed, the Jedi slain, and the Resistance obliterated. This is the victory of Kylo Ren, against all those he once hated."

The Knights of Ren cheer even louder, like barking beasts. Ren grips his hands tight, helpless. The Oracle folds her large arms into her body, and bows her flat head.

"Our exchange is complete. I wish you wisdom in victory and defeat."

The creature she clings to reacts suddenly, moving through the bubbling poison of the pool to retreat. The Oracle is enveloped by the curious mist that permeates her home, and she is gone. Kylo Ren walks slowly back towards the edge of the pool, staring blankly ahead. His Knights greet him with mechanically voiced glee.

"Master, you heard her!" Yells Ap'lek excitedly. "The prophecy is already in motion, our victory draws near!"

"It is as you said Master," chimes in Kuruk. "You bent the prophecy to your will. Now, the Resistance will not stand a chance! All of your enemies will fall!"

Ren gazes down into the blank helmets of his four followers, shocked at how little they understand. Had they not guessed he means to betray them? No, they really believe that he came here to make sure the Resistance will not succeed, that he is content that 'Kylo Ren' will be complicit in killing the last Jedi. All the anger and frustration that once bubbled inside him at the Oracle's prophecy are no longer there. Instead, Ren's insides stir with dull realisation. All this time, even after his death, Snoke has manipulated him. He created the puppet 'Kylo Ren' to do his will, and his sculpting was so phenomenal that Ren himself had not seen his strings. He had thought it was his will, his dream to destroy the Jedi and the Resistance, that these things lead to the galaxy being rebuilt, a new order. It was the goal he'd worked towards for almost ten years. He'd given everything to Snoke, to the dark-side, for this one dream. Hadn't he?

"Yes," come his words, finally. "I have what I need. Prepare the ships."

The four warriors bow in salute and head for the cavern exit. Ren still stands near the raised walkway, surrounded by slowly bubbling liquid. The struggle within himself has only grown more rampant, two bodies of water crashing against each other with deafening force. He had believed he had forged his own path, and drawn confidence in knowing where he was heading towards, but now that assuredness and confidence are gone. And yet again, he feels so alone.

"Rey?"

He stares at his own warped and bubbling reflection, barely even able to look at himself, craving only the company of one other person. His lip trembles as he stares into his own face, knowing that nobody is there to help.

"Yes?"

But there she is. Soot clings to her face and discolours her undershirt and tunic, snowflakes stick to her hair. She stares up at him from the surface of the pool, which is suddenly calm. She searches for him with her eyes narrowed, as though he isn't clear to see.

"Ben?"

Ren chokes on his own breath, feeling as though he is suffocating under the weight of the ordeal he'd just experienced. He kneels by the edge of the pool and looks into Rey's eyes. She gets a sense of how he is feeling just from this movement. Her eyes widen in concern.

"Did you ask your question for yourself?"

Ren doesn't know if he has or not. Rey concedes the question and moves on, still anxious for Ben.

"Did you get what you wanted?"

The shock seems to swell inside him, and he can't answer.

"Ben?"

With a huge effort, he forms the truth and pushes it out into the world.

"No. I couldn't change the prophecy."

Now shock dawns upon Rey's face, and the two simply stare at each other, speechless.

* * *

Rey stands by the edge of a frozen stream. In the opaque surface of the ice, she gazes into the face of Ben Solo, through the Force, and finds him changed. He has seen a truth, some revelation that has rocked him to his core. Of all her other feelings that rise when thinking of him, a new one emerges; pride. Though he has failed to alter the prophecy, he has faced a horrible fact about himself, and is better for it, though he may not realise it yet. As Ben disappears from her view, Rey clenches her bruised hands into fists. She will not allow the prophecy to pass. Rey stubbornly resolves to do anything she can, summon the Oracle herself, face her own truth if she must, but she will stop that prophecy. She is sure of it. And she knows exactly who to ask.

Rey retreats up the frozen bank and approaches the crowd amassing outside the Final Order prison on the frozen outskirts of Calrim City. Where the prison once held the city citizens against their will, the surrendered Stormtroopers now sit behind bars and ray shields, without their armour, helmets, and weapons. In the cell right at the end lies Captain Garan, still out cold from the stun blast he'd taken not hours before.

In the main control room, Chewie and Rose work at a communications console next to a stack of Stormtrooper armour. Rose's keen understanding of slicing means she is now maintaining a steady flow of outgoing reports. This will place any orbiting Final Order vessel or intrusive officer under the impression Tyjimi is still being maintained by a healthy Stormtrooper occupation. Chewie finishes off the final touches on the broadcast, and Rose signals to Rey the all clear with a thumbs up. Rey then continues her advance into the prison and comes to the final cell, which Lando had once occupied. Now it houses Cardo and Vicrul. They've been stripped of their weapons and padded armour, only their black tunics and helmets remain. Their headgear was created so as to not be removed, and Vicrul's locked up when Rey had tried to prize it from his head - now permanently backwards and with a fresh dent atop it. Rey can't help but enjoy their defeat, but gets straight to the point.

"How did you summon the Oracle?"

The two warriors are positioned cross-legged and back to back upon the stone floor. Their wrists are bound together by a set of strong quadbinders. Vicrul turns his head to look in her direction, scoffing. Rey persists.

"You ignored your orders to find the Temple and instead, hunted me down." Inquirers the young Jedi. "Why?"

Continued silence. Rey decides to poke their pride.

"Deception is necessary to hunting but you've been boldly truthful before, Vicrul. Why stop now?"

Cardo turns his helmeted head to look at Rey.

"We have embraced the truth, and our true selves. This is something you would not understand, pretender."

Rey drops to the ground, sitting cross-legged before the two prisoners.

"Maybe I want to understand?"

She teeters on her next point, stretching out with the Force and baring her feelings to them.

"Maybe we're not so different. Maybe we can learn from each other?"

Vicrul lifts his chin from pointing at the floor just slightly, sizing Rey up. He has no reason to hide, and refuses to do so, as is his way.

"We were outcasts in a system far from here. We embraced the Ren, and discarded our old skins and names to become our true selves."

Cardo listens, then continues Vicrul's words.

"This face I created myself. It is mine, it is 'Cardo'."

The similarities between them complicate Rey's feelings. On the one hand, she needs information they shield from her. On the other, she sits across from two people who've been abandoned by the galaxy, and have forged their own identity regardless. She can't help but feel an eerie kinship with her fellow nobodies.

"How do you embrace your true self?" She asks, genuinely curious. Cardo hesitates, skeptical of her curiosity, but Vicrul senses her openness.

"You embrace the truth you hide. For us? We were dead men walking."

"And then?" Rey feels genuine excitement flood her. But Vicrul is wiser to her manipulations.

"Then you must show your commitment to the hunt, to your new purpose as a Knight of Ren. You must kill a Jedi, and your transformation is complete. We killed apprentices at the burning temple, as did our Master. And he is prophesied to kill you."

Rey jerks backwards in shock, and Vicrul leers menacingly.

"There is no escaping your fate, nobody."

He spits the last word at her like an inescapable insult. Rey's breath is sharp, then her trained reactions kick in. She stretches out a hand; and through the Force she applies pressure to the fatigue beginning to fog the minds of her two prisoners. Almost instantly they drop into a deep dreamless sleep, but her efforts have proven fruitful. She can sense impressions upon the surface of their slumbering minds. The sound of Ap'lek's voice repeating an incantation swims to the surface of Cardo's mind. Rey doesn't fully understand the meaning, but is able to commit the sharp noises to memory. She stands and strides from the cell with clear purpose; she will stop the prophecy.

"Rey, wait up!"

The young Jedi turns to look upon the duo of Rose and Chewie, who greet her with a soft growl and a slight hug. Rey chuckles, squeezing Rose back.

"Are we expecting any Final Order backup?"

Rose shakes her head. "No one is going to be picking up our trail anytime soon, we've made sure of it."

Chewie places his large hairy hand on Rose's shoulder, and growls a short compliment. Rose blushes.

"Thanks Chewie. We should probably get to the square with the others."

Rey's excitement returns, remembering the solid win they'd just gained against the Final Order. More than that, she'd felt they were meant to be here and this only enhances their triumph. As they leave for the square, Rey's doubts subside momentarily as her confidence swells. She has protected the Resistance, and stopped two dark hunters in their tracks. For once, they are winning.

* * *

The mood in Calrim City's market square has changed drastically. Once a battlefield, now veteran pirates and Resistance soldiers alike work together to clear the debris of war. Poe is coordinating his forces from a large brass statue near the centre of the cobbled space, whilst Baron Calrissian tends to his consorts. Rose, having recovered mostly from her injuries, is teaching Jaytu how to administer aid to the Resistance and Guild wounded, whilst Finn gathers up arms and supplies from fallen and surrendered Stormtroopers. Every time he passes a fallen Stormtrooper, a needle of cold guilt pierces his heart, followed swiftly by a righteous fury. A hand appears on his shoulder.

"You did what you could, Finn."

He turns to grimace at Rey.

"I suppose you're going to tell me not to be angry?"

Rey frowns. "No, why?"

Finn deposits the dozen or so blaster rifles he carries into a crate and scratches at his hair.

"From the stories, I thought Jedi and emotions didn't mix?"

Rey piles the rifles she holds into the crate also and perches herself atop it, looking down at Finn. Her brow furrows as she interlocks her fingers. If her eyes weren't open, Finn would've thought she was meditating.

"I can't tell you the way the Jedi were, but I can tell you what I know. To cut yourself off from your feelings means you become cold, blind, apathetic." She thought of the shell of a man she'd met on Ahch-To over a year ago, wracked with grief and despair.

"But, allowing your feelings to burst forth unchecked means destruction, not just around you, but yourself." She thought of Ben, the blind look of pleading as he stands amongst flames, offering Rey the chance to burn the galaxy to the ground. Pity for him fills her, and she closes her eyes and just breathes.

"But, your feelings can be a guide. You can reach out with them and experience the world around you. Your successes can light the way, and your failures can teach you a better path. Let your feelings guide you, know them. That is balance. That is the Force. I'm also angered by the injustices of the Final Order, and we can do something about it. No, we should."

Rey opens her eyes and looks down at Finn, who stares back in awe.

"You really are a Jedi, aren't you?"

Rey's laugh is deep and genuine. "I'm sure you'll make a great Jedi too, Finn. You've already saved hundreds of those conscripted into this war. Whatever happens, I've got your back."

Rey offers a hand, which Finn takes once again. The two friends look at each other with genuine love and appreciation.

"Thanks," he responds, a little choked up.

BB-8 whistles for attention nearby, and they both look up. With most of the repairs and resupplying completed, members of both factions now gather around the statue where Poe bobs above the crowd of four-hundred.

"Gentlebeings, the Resistance and I wish to thank-you for your hand in the defeat of the Final Order! Now you are free from Stormtroopers!"

A mingled cheer of Resistance soldiers and roars from the various Guild members sounds around the square. Rey and Finn approached the statue, getting a better view of Poe. He continued, his voice deep and genuine.

"The battle may be won, but the war is far from over. Many of you know of the sacrifice of Admiral Holdo and Master Luke Skwalker, who dealt the Final Order a devastating blow and saved us. Now, that sacrifice is threatened! The enemy are amassing a fleet of Star Destroyers for a single purpose; our destruction. We need to locate and hit their base, with as much firepower as we can muster, before they regain naval supremacy, and to that end we need your help."

Poe clenches one of his gloved hands as he looks at the faces before him. "This is our most desperate hour, but with you as allies, we will win this war once and for all!"

It is a fantastic speech, Finn thought. But apparently, not good enough. The groups of veteran Guild members gathered around shift uncomfortably. The large Gigoran named Jnngen grumbles something Finn can't understand, and a murmur of agreement from her veteran pirates and scoundrels gathered. Hurt spreads across Poe's face.

"What do you mean, you 'can't'?"

A tall man standing next to Finn answers.

"General, this city was a haven away from the Final Order," says Lando with grave sincerity. "Most of us have been lucky to make it this far."

"The Baron is right!" Adds a tall bounty hunter, his face obscured but for his monstrously sharp teeth. "We've lost too many. We came to this place to stop fighting, and even then they found us!"

"Then help us!"

Finn breaks ranks with the crowd, stepping forward to stand next to Poe.

"We're trying to win this war! The Final Order is conscripting and training children to fight their battles, and they'll have the strength to wipe us out in a matter of days, and your response is to run and hide?!"

Silence falls upon all those present. Lando stares at Finn with new understanding, his hands shaking as he held himself up on a metal cane, but his various consorts stare down at Finn with faces of stone.

"Many of us are veterans of the Galactic Civil War, and have lost family members to both the old Empire and this one." The sharp-toothed bounty hunter continues. "We've got nothing left to fight for. We're content with just surviving the rest of our days away from this." He gestures a hand at the still smoking buildings and blaster-scorched square. "We've seen enough of war."

Finn breathes heavily, his eyes wide in anger. Rey joins his side, and her cheeks are flush with frustration too as she rounds on the Guild members present.

"An attack on us is an attack on Resistance anywhere. If you think the Final Order will just leave you alone once they've dealt with us, you're more naïve than I ever was."

The bounty hunter's mouth twitches as he leers down at Rey and Finn.

"And just who are you?"

Rey stares defiantly back at him.

"I'm Rey, a Jedi, and I'll stand with the Resistance because it's right, and for no other reason."

The Jedi and the bounty hunter glare at each other for a few seconds, then he turns.

"Well Jedi, may the Force be with you. The Resistance is going to need it."

He shoulders his large blaster rifle and pushes through the crowd. Many of his fellow Guild veterans turned to follow.

"How can you do this!" Shouts Rose at their backs. "Without us, you'd still be locked in cages!"

"Without you, the Stormtroopers wouldn't have come to our city looking for trouble in the first place!" The toothed bounty hunter's voice is deadpan and final.

Chewie growls mournfully, matched only by depressed whistles of BB-8 and R2. Poe has finally had enough, glaring at the sight of their retreating allies.

"Those cowards," he seethes. "How can they-?"

But Leia raises a ringed hand to silence him. "I'm sorry Poe, but those who have lost their faith will not be swayed by us, however righteous our intentions."

Poe looks at her and allows a business-like calm to spread over his anguished face. He nods in acknowledgment, but curses under his breath before addressing the crowd of dwindling Resistance soldiers before him.

"Alright, companies form up. Take any supplies you can carry and start heading back to base."

The mood of the soldiers surrounding Poe has plummeted so far in the last half an hour, that even their response to commands is sluggish. "Come on let's get moving, we'll find no help from these people."

Finn summons the courage to keep going, slinging a fair few blaster rifles over his shoulder. When he looks up, Poe stands before him with a cold expression.

"Don't worry Poe, I'm sure we'll-" Finn begins, but Poe lifts a hand to silence him. He affixes Finn with a warning look.

"Can I trust you'll follow my orders?"

Finn's sympathy turns to shock. Is Poe really doing this now? "Uh-yes, of course. General."

"Good," responds Poe in his business-like tone. "The Resistance certainly can't afford insubordination with the odds we're facing now."

Finn's shock is overthrown by a sudden fury. Is Poe seriously implying that saving those Stormtroopers lives was 'insubordination'? Finn jabs a finger into Poe's chest.

"I won't apologise for remembering who the real enemy is, Poe."

Poe's face suddenly flushed bright red, and he shoves Finn's hand away.

"What are you-!"

But, before he can finish, a pair of hands comes between them and pushes them back.

"Really?" Says Rey, looking at Poe incredulously. "Is now the time?"

Poe looks from Rey to Finn, and makes his decision. He retreats, shouldering several medpacks.

"You have your orders."

He turns with a snap and joins the procession now beginning the long hike back to their base.

Finn looks as though he is ready to hit Poe. Rey holds him steady, knowing why her friend is more worked than usual, even if he hadn't quite figured it out yet.

"He'll come round," she whispers hopefully. "Plus, there's something you should hear."

Finn turns curiously to see Jaytu and Rose, standing side by side behind them. Rose tugs Jaytu forwards with glee.

"She saved me!" Rose squealed. "I was as good as blasted when she ran in and saved me!"

Jaytu's eyes widen with shock as Finn, Rey, and Rose beam at her. She can't string two words together before Finn has pulled her into a hug. She doesn't know it, but this small act of courage is exactly the balm Finn needed. He pulls away.

"Thanks, Jaytu."

Her eyes darted between them, embarrassed. "It's fine, you know. I said I'm with you now, so." She clears her throat. "It's expected."

Finn thumps her on the shoulder in thanks, and the four of them shoulder bags of supplies and scavenged weapons, joining the stragglers at the back of the group. Rey nudges Jaytu and passes her a small blaster pistol.

"Probably more reliable than a shock prod," she says matter-of-factly.

Jaytu takes the weapon in uneasy fingers.

"What I did wasn't really 'brave', I'm sure you guys would have done the same."

"Oh no, it was brave alright," comes a deep, charismatic voice from behind them. "You've got more guts than you know."

The four of them turn to look upon Baron Lando Calrissian, flanked by two tall and ferocious looking gunmen. Finn looks from one to the other, who both bare their golden teeth. Lando notices, and chuckles.

"Lo and Le don't speak much, but I assure you they mean you no harm." He pats Lo's large shoulder. "In fact, quite the opposite. May I speak with you, Commander Finn?"

He offers his arm which Finn takes. They step graciously to one side whilst their companions mingle. Rey's smile warmly as she offers a hand of greeting, and one of the tall twin aliens takes it, flashing a sharp toothed grimace back at the young Jedi. Once just out of earshot, Lando turns and looks Finn up and down. He grins broadly.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Finn. I'd heard rumours of the man who abandoned the First Order, who fought so passionately at the Battle of Crait, and who now stands against throwing away the lives of the conscripted for tactical advantage."

Finn's eyes bulge as he shakes his head in embarrassment.

"No! No, General, it's my pleasure! You flew in the Battle of Endor, you led the attack that destroyed the second Death Star!"

Lando chuckles, waving this praise away as though it were the activities of an average afternoon.

"Please, I'm no General anymore, and it was the Rebellion's unity that day that won us victory, not an old pirate in a borrowed ship."

Finn prepares his argument but Lando continues to wave his words aside. "What I'd like to talk to you about is your proposition."

Finn's excitement turns to dread, reminded of the angry outburst he'd loosened on Lando and his allies earlier. "Oh, yeah. I'm sorry about that."

Lando's relaxed features suddenly turn serious, and he firmly places his free hand on Finn's shoulder. "Never do that. Never apologize for being angry at the right people, or for making others uncomfortable by saying so."

Finn is stunned, and stares into Lando's eyes with rapt attention.

"What you said and what you did for those Stormtroopers was unlike anything I've ever experienced," the Baron continued. "You'd seen through the war, of the Generals and Admirals, and seen those who were actually suffering, and you stuck up for them."

Lando suddenly breaks his gaze with Finn, a hint of shame tingeing his warm features.

"Some of us tried to work around oppression. Integrate, even work with those who threaten us. But it was all an illusion. I was older and far more advantaged than you when I stood against imperial power, and before then I had sided with the enemy many times."

He shakes his head. "I fear I could have done more, so that you and your brothers and sisters would not have been..."

He pauses but summons the courage to call it what it was.

"...conscripted into war."

There is a moment where they simply look at each other, the truth of this great injustice hanging in the air. Lando places both hands on his cane and straightens his back.

"Commander, I'd like to pledge the allegiance of Lo, Le, and myself to your cause."

Finn stares, breathless. "You'll join the Resistance?" he says, incredulously.

Lando shakes his head once again.

"You're not listening, Finn. My friends, our ship - the Lady Luck - and I will be at your service. I will do what I can to help in your altruistic endeavours."

A grin spreads across Finn's face, sheer joy and gratitude overcoming him. He pulls Lando into a hug, who laughs heartily as he reciprocates.

"I'm sure a couple of tired old gunslingers aren't much, but we'll do what we can!"

"No, it's more than enough!" Says Finn triumphantly. His mind lingers on Jaytu, and all that Lando has said. "In fact, it's given me an idea."

Finn swings the blasters he is carrying over his back and makes his way in the opposite direction of the retreating Resistance troops. He beckons to his friends, who all join him. Lando and the twin bounty hunters watch in confusion as Finn, Rey, Rose, and Jaytu head in the direction of the prison.

"Where are you going Commander?" Inquires Lando.

Finn waves back, his grin still plastered across his face.

"To do what I can," he says triumphantly.

* * *

"Talon, do you read?"

The Knights of Ren are back aboard their beloved vessel, the Night Buzzard. Kuruk zips through pre-flight checks in the cockpit, whilst Ap'lek continues attempting to hail his comrades across the stars. He impatiently repeats his transmitted message.

"Night Buzzard to Talon. Vicrul? Cardo? Do you read? The Temple has been found by the Jedi, by the Resistance! Find and secure it as soon as possible, find the cracked crystal, find the molten heart of the Temple!"

Ap'lek checks his master is out of earshot before continuing in a slightly hushed tone.

"Seal your bond in blood and bring us victory, do not hesitate. If you can, fulfil the prophecy for all of us."

Ap'lek quickly halts the transmission as Kylo Ren enters the ship. Ren approaches the larger holotable behind the captain's chair, and engages a channel to Othkore. A blue holoimage of General Engell appears, her uniform sharp and her lips pursed. She bows her head respectfully.

"Supreme Leader."

"Engell," greets Ren. "What news of the Resistance?"

General Engell looks around as Trudgen, Ushar, Kuruk and Ap'lek now gather behind Ren to listen as well. Engell, though a woman of both acute scrutiny and resolute integrity, can't help but feel uneasy in their presence.

"Yes, S-Supreme Leader. Admiral Hux led the Finalizer to the Brentaal System, but was incapable of preventing the Resistance from making their escape. He is currently scouring our collective intel to discover a lead on their next location, and has ordered his crew to work overtime until otherwise."

She pauses, knowing her next words mean the death of Hux. But she values her own life more.

"He currently has no leads, Supreme Leader."

Kuruk and Ushar share a dark cackle. All five of them know that Vicrul, with his superior hunting abilities, has tracked down the Jedi and the Resistance in less than twelve hours. All five enjoy the mental image of Hux ripping clumps of hair from his scalp as he attempts to sift through several databanks worth of tips and false sightings that will never lead to the Resistance. Hux has handled the Resistance almost exactly as Ren had predicted. And now, he will suffer the consequences of failure.

"Thank-you, General. Admiral Hux has failed me for the last time. We will proceed as planned."

"As you wish, Supreme Leader." Engell bows her head once more before disappearing. The silence that follows is filled, instantly, by the roars and jeers of the Knights of Ren.

"The white-caped fool!" Sneers Trudgen. "Even with all that firepower, he couldn't even blast a dozen ships away."

The other three knights jeer at Hux's expense. Ren, standing just apart from them, simply stares at the spot where Engell had been. He isn't smiling.

"He's a useless pawn," offers Ap'lek. "He is no wiser to the location of the Resistance than he is their planned ambush on Othkore. Soon it will not matter as all the enemies of Kylo Ren will fall!"

The four brothers of the Ren cheer darkly, but the man named Kylo Ren tenses, his gloved hands curling into fists as he stands with his back to them. What had the Oracle said? 'The Jedi slain, the Resistance obliterated, this is the victory of Kylo Ren, against all those he once hated'? If this is true, then why does he feel like he is surrounded by enemies? Fresh blood wets his glove once again as the cut on his hand opens. He turns to the four men he'd once called followers.

"Make the necessary preparations. We head for the Finalizer in an hour, to finally rid the Final Order of Hux and his incompetence."

He pauses, hesitating on his next words. "Then we will begin the trials."

The Knights bow their helmeted heads solemnly and go to work, completing the pre-flight checks and preparing their weapons for a presumed fight with Hux. The majority, like Ushar and Trudgen, believe there will be no fight, more of a massacre when they board the Finalizer. Ap'lek thumbs his axe affectionately, hoping he will have the pleasure of being the pale Admiral's executioner.

But Kylo Ren remains still. The huge waves of conflict crash against his insides without mercy, and he is surprised his followers cannot sense it. He feels as though he is standing on a precipice, teetering on a tall wall, ready to fall either way. He clutches at his chest with his bleeding gloved hand, struggling to breath. His eyes dart around sharply. None of his four Knights have noticed. With a great effort, he strides from the cockpit area, through the immolation room, and out the docking ramp into the rancid air of Bogar Prax. His own shuttle is parked close and, away from the judgmental gaze of his enemies, he dashes towards the winged ship, desperate for solitude.

Ren stomps aboard the ship and is immediately accosted by FA-17. The pilot droid asks for orders diligently but Ren is sweating, the howling crash of emotions building into a storm inside him. He stumbles past the droid and makes it to his large personal quarters. The door snaps shut behind him and he is finally alone, but for the red glow of the wall lights. Holding out until the last second, Ren gasps for air as he collapses to the floor.

His gloved hand reaches up, grasping the plinth in the centre of the room to pull himself up. Ren has managed to fight it for so long but now he is being torn apart. He looks into the hollow, blank eyes of the charred helmet of Vader. Torrents of memories swirl in his head like a violent sea. Snoke whispering to him through the Force. His Father's hand on his face. His beloved Uncle Luke brandishing a lightsaber at him. His beloved Uncle Luke telling him softly that he'll always be with him. Snoke's cold gaze invading his mind. His mother's look of warmth, her eyes filled with tears.

He opens his mouth to scream at the unbearable pain, and the cry of a wounded animal escapes his chest. He focuses on the helmet before him, trying to banish the storm to no avail.

"Grandfather," he pleads. "Show me, help me, please."

But there's now answer. The wounded animal's roar fills the room, and the helmet is thrown into the far wall by Ren. He clutches his head, feeling as though it might split open, when a sudden orange light fills the room. The helmet he'd thrown has split down the middle, engulfed in flames. Ren stares in shock as the sparks and smoke swirl unnaturally, twisting to shape the form of a tall cloaked man. He is at least fifty, and wears the folded robe, belt, and tunic of a Jedi. Ren gazes into the man's face. A neat crop of short black hair dusted with silver, thick eyebrows and large dark blue eyes. Ren gets to his feet, in awe of the apparition. He has never seen him before, but knows who he is.

"Vader."

The man's eyes narrowed.

"No. That is not my name." The man's voice is low and soft, but commanding.

Ren gulps, saying the name for the first time. "Anakin."

To his surprise, the spectre of the man seems to relax. He smiles wide.

"That's right. And you are Ben."

Ren breathes in sharply. It isn't a question. Anakin watches his reaction attentively.

"So tell me Ben, why am I here?"

Anakin approaches the plinth, and Ren instinctively backs away. He is sweating, scarcely able to believe his eyes.

"I-I brought you here?" Ren asks.

"In a manner of speaking," replies Anakin, softly. "Though it is not your power, you understand that don't you?"

Ren's jaw clenches, and Anakin looks almost amused. "Ah, so you do understand. That is why I am here, isn't it? You finally understand the truth."

"What truth?"

Anakin looks upon his grandson with a remorseful smile.

"The truth of the 'Ren', the 'Dark-Side', the 'shadow'. You have given all you have to it, to your power, to your master, yet still it takes. I was far older than you when I realised that it never gives, it only ever takes."

Ren stares in complete disbelief. Not Snoke, nor the Knights, or anybody has ever spoken of the Force to him as Anakin now does. Ren barely dares to breath as he hangs on every word. Anakin averts his gaze for just a moment, staring at something Ren cannot see.

"It was never the answer, and I learned that too late. My wife was right all along."

He gazes knowingly at Ren now. "As was the one who saved me. My son."

As the second figure forms next to Anakin, fear grips Ren's insides. He looks into the bright blue eyes of his Uncle, grappling with the urge to run, to lash out. Luke simply smiles at him.

"I'm sorry you're hurting Ben." He sighs. "I'm sorry for everything."

Ren teeters before the two spectres, barely able to comprehend what he is seeing. It is at this point he realises that the storm inside him has receded. Anakin places a hand proudly on Luke's shoulder, and Luke straightens slightly, as though readying himself.

"I'm here to ask forgiveness, Ben."

Ren has never seen his Uncle so solemn, staring down at the floor.

"My failure was believing your choice was made." He looks with great effort into his nephew's eyes. "It wasn't."

Ren is trying to take in these words when both Jedi begin to fade. Tears sparkled in Luke's eyes as the ash swirls.

"And it still isn't, not yet."

The ash cloud dissipates, and the Skywalkers are gone. The bludgeoned mask of Vader glows like hot coals for just a moment, then the room is still. Ren is alone. He braces for the return of the storm, of the pain. But none came.

* * *

"Is everything alright, Commander?"

Finn, Rey, Rose, and Jaytu have reached the prison. The four vanguards left to secure the dark metal complex were packing their blasters and supplies when the four companions approached. Finn nods in response to the vanguard's query.

"Nothing to worry about Lieutenant, carry on with the evacuation."

The vanguard shrugs and takes one last look at the prison. "No point wasting your time on them, sir. The Final Order will pick them up in a few days at the most."

Finn acknowledges this with a salute, and the vanguards make their way into the city, only just won back by the Resistance. Finn approaches the thick double doors, which swing open as Rose enters a code.

"How are you going to do this?" Asks Rey, more curious than intrusive. Finn flashes her his trademark grin.

"I've been watching you, haven't I?" He bops her affectionately on the arm. "And there is something we can do about the Final Order."

Rey isn't sure what he means, but trusts him. She feels a swell of genuine pride at his words, which fight against the nagging doubt that has been resting on her shoulders since the Guild's rejection of their call to arms. Maybe she is making a difference. Maybe, she can succeed.

As Rose and Jaytu check on the communications terminal, Rey retraces he steps to the largest cell, set aside from the rest. She approaches slowly and looks upon the forms of both Vicrul and Cardo, still bound to each other and still unconscious from her machinations. Satisfied, she turners to return to her friends. Which she misses however, is the blinking light inside both helmets, alerting the wearer of a coded message it has received. She also doesn't sense that both warriors are only feigning sleep.

Finn stands before the cell that now holds Captain Garan, who stirs. His chest stings from the stun blast, and he chooses to throw that frustration at the man looking down upon him now.

"Ah, the traitor," he spits. "Come to bargain have you?"

Finn stares, disgust and pity filling him. Garan smirkes.

"Officially you're dead, but the Officer who brings you in will be rewarded with a seat amongst Senior Command." A high chuckle escapes his lips. "Orders from Admiral Hux himself."

At the mention of Hux's name Finn has officially heard enough. He moves to the terminal without acknowledging Garan. The Captain's eyes widen.

"Wait! Wait, no, I can give you credits, anything I have if you just let me-"

A second ray shield appears before Garan's cell, immediately silencing him. Finn runs his fingers over a series of other buttons, and the cells behind him light up one by one. The unarmoured Stormtroopers occupying them look confused as the ray shields disappear, leaving only the physical metal bars. Some get to their feet and peer from between them. They can see and hear Finn at the far end of the narrow corridor, though he's deep in thought. He is having trouble choosing his words. Rose and Jaytu watch him intently, unsure of his motives here. Rey is sure, but still she wishes him luck. Finn approaches the cells, his audience of Stormtroopers watching intently as his footsteps permeate the quiet. He stops in the middle of the corridor and clears his throat.

"Captain Garan has just tried to offer me wealth and power for a quick release, but I'm not here for him. I'm here for you."

He indicates around to his audience.

"You see, the Captain here had a choice. He chose to join the Final Order. But we… we never had that privilege. We, all of us, were taken from families we've never known. Trained. No, reconditioned."

He pauses.

"No, let's call it what it is, torture." Anger rumbles in his voice, and his hands curl into fists.

"We were tortured into following orders. We had a number, and our corps, and that's it. That's us."

Finn lifts his eyes from the ground and instead, looks into the faces of the prisoners. "But not anymore. The Final Order makes your choices for you but, here, away from them, it's in your hands. Before she died, Phasma said that I was a 'bug in the system', well, I say she's wrong!"

His voice is rising now, filled with justified outrage.

"I offer you your first choice now. Once we leave this planet, you'll be released. You can go back to your barracks on your Star Destroyer if you wish, or you can leave this place behind and try your luck in the galaxy alone. Or, you can come with us, the Resistance, and make sure the Final Order will never recondition anyone. Never again."

He softens his tone. "The choice is yours. What'll it be?"

An uncomfortable silence follows. Many of the Stormtroopers look at one another in disbelief, or stare at Finn in apprehension or suspicion. A voice from a far cell pipes up.

"Are you the FN-2187?"

The head of a Stormtrooper no older than nineteen strains to look at Finn, but before he can answer, Jaytu is at his side.

"Yes he is, he took out Phasma."

She perches awkwardly next to Finn, who nods at her thankfully.

"Finn is a man of his word," Jaytu continues. "The Resistance will protect us."

Finn approaches the curious prisoner. "What's your name?"

The young Stormtrooper looks perplexed. "HF-3311, but..." Her head sinks. "I don't want to fight anymore."

Finn smiles wide, and takes her bound hands in his own. "There are alternatives to fighting. There's always other ways of beating the Final Order. We need everyone from pilots to cooks."

"I can still fight!" Says a voice from behind Finn. "And I don't want no Reconditioning anymore."

"Hux said you were dead!" Joins another. Before long, a dozen voices add to the din in agreement. Finn flexes his perception into the Force, and can feel elation, relief, and retribution brewing in the hearts of all who are speaking up. Finn is overcome with joy. A small victory, but a major one.

The four companions weave up and down the corridors, opening cell doors and releasing binders. Though she trusts Finn, Rey's overprotective nature means she is sensing the new recruits as they follow, one by one, out of the prison and into the evening air of Tyjimi. She can sense no insidious or animosity towards them, though plenty for the Final Order. Finn collects a series of crates with weapons in them, moving outside and placing them aboard an abandoned trooper transport near the back of the prison. He beckons his friends and new allies towards it.

"Not like they'll need this!"

Rose scrutinizes some of the crates, noticing some store Stormtrooper armour inside.

"What do you need these for?"

Finn was shaking the hands of the twelve new recruits when he looks over at Rose.

"As I said, alternatives to fighting."

As everybody climbs aboard and straps themselves in, Finn is about ready to court his small success against the Final Order when he notices someone is missing.

"Where's Rey?"

The young Jedi had split off from the group as she'd noticed something. As she reached out through the Force to sense their new allies, she'd disregarded the absence of Cardo and Vicrul as either distance or unconsciousness. But, even those asleep or unconscious can be sensed through the Force. An uneasiness had gripped Rey and she'd dashed to the reverse side of the prison, where her suspicions were confirmed. One of the duresteel plates that secured the prison has been melted away, and she is reminded of the smoking metal of the AT-ST leg from earlier. Two sets of hurried footsteps lead away into the cover of the pine forest. Rey grits her teeth. How had she been so careless?

"What's going on?"

Finn rounds the corner and look from Rey to the metal hole. Rey can't hide her shame and panic as she gazes back.

"The Knights of Ren, they've escaped!"

* * *

The interior corridors of the _Millennium Falcon_ have seen better days. Slush has been walked in from the Tyjimi surface, the walls of the access tunnels have begun to visibly wear away, and a suspicious gap in the ceiling sparks occasionally. However, it has also never been so full of life. Tiny families of porgs have made all the nooks and crannies of the old freighter their home, some brave enough to venture out of the boarding ramp and investigate the ancient temple walls around them.

The Resistance return to their temporary base, and busy themselves storing gained supplies and counting losses. Leia Organa is careful to steal a few moments away from the bustle, aboard the ship she shares so many memories with. Only 3PO and R2 keep her company, whilst Chewie attends to the rigorous daily maintenance on his beloved ship. Leia is taking the weight off her feet in the Captain's quarters when she hears the footsteps of an uninvited, but welcome guest.

"Well, she's looked worse."

Leia hurries to the common area where she finds Lando struggling to fight off a hug from Chewie, his feet kicking uselessly as he is held aloft. Chewie and Lando both roar with delight.

"Hahaha, it's wonderful to see you too Captain Chewbacca! Now put me down, I'm not as spry as I once was."

Chewbacca does so. As Lando dusts his luxurious coat collar, R2 bumps him on the leg excitedly. He strokes the astromech's domed head with gentlemanly affection.

"Who could forget you, old friend! Seen any fire fights recently?"

R2's whistled response is soon drowned by the pompous introductions of his golden partner, who approaches with open arms.

"Master Calrissian! What a pleasure!"

Lando's enjoyment of his reunion among friends sours visibly as he sets eyes on 3PO. Being a man of boundless charisma however, he maintains a polite smile.

"It's nice to see you too, 3PO," he says rather curtly before clearing his throat. "Now, I'm looking for-"

"Well well, what have we here?"

All four turn to look at Leia, leaning against the wall of the Falcon and enjoying the scene. Lando's calm elation returns, and Leia manages a short chuckle.

"I see you've come to your senses Lando."

Lando crosses the room, perusing an old cabinet set into the Falcon's wall.

"Can't keep a good gambler down, especially with such odds as yours."

The cabinet door yields a decorative blue bottle with some dark liquid inside. Chewie cocks his head in disbelief and Lando uncorks the bottle and inhales the aroma with relish. Leia is amused, but not naïve.

"Tell me what changed you mind."

Lando pours three glasses of the red liquid, offering one to Chewbacca. It appears as a crystal thimble in his large hairy hands. He offers the second glass to Leia, before giving it a cheeky clink with his own.

"Something about that young man struck a chord with me," Lando admits. He swirles his glass thoughtfully. Leia raises an eyebrow.

"You mean Poe?"

"Him too!" Lando raises a glass to the absent Commander and General. "You've certainly curated some bright stars to lead on, Princess."

Leia rolls her eyes at the old title but is flattered just the same. Lando takes a seat at the dejarik table, suddenly wearing a mask of seriousness. He raises his glass once more, this time solemn.

"And here's to Luke Skywalker, a finer man I've never met."

He takes a great gulp. Leia hesitates, before whispering the truth quietly to the room.

"My brother saved us all. Despite everything, he was there when we needed him most." She takes a gentle sip.

Chewie whines slightly as he too pours the crimson liquid into his mouth, drips trickling down his fur. R2 whistles earnestly, and 3PO places an arm of comfort around him. Lando sobers somewhat, choosing to change the subject to that of success.

"Heard about Snoke as well, that he met his end challenging a Jedi, that true?"

Leia's grim expression worsens. A mixture of desperation and longing stirs inside Leia. She settles on telling Lando the truth.

"Not quite. It was Ben."

This revelation taints even Lando's well-curated persona with genuine shock. He runs a hand through his stylish crop of curled hair.

"Karabast," he curses in disbelief. "He always did have a bold streak!"

His attempt at wit fails to sooth Leia's anxiety. Lanso places his glass on the game table and walks over to Leia, placing his hands on hers. Leia's eyes become glazed, watery, but they regain focus when met by Lando's intense gaze.

"Sounds to me like your son still lives, Leia."

Leia can't help but smile. "It's funny, that's what Luke said."

Lando smiles even wider, clasping Leia's hand tight.

"I believed it when I joined your Rebellion, I believed it when I saw young Finn fighting the good fight, and I believe it now. When he needs us, you just call."

Leia opens her mouth, either to spill her gratitude or explain to Lando the danger he faces if he joins her and Rey in their pledge, but she never gets the chance. A nearby explosion aggressively rocks the Falcon. 3PO exclaims as he almost topples over, and Lando's glass falls from the table and shatters on the metal grate floor. Lando himself steadies Leia and looks around at the source of the noise.

"What in Caraya's soul…?"

But Leia has regained her battle-readiness almost instantly as another explosion goes off. She charges forward towards the docking ramp, hand hovering over her blaster grip. "We're under attack!"

A fire rages outside the base, just beyond the lip of the temple cavern. The smoking remains of a Y-Wing starfighter is swarmed by Resistance soldiers, and a gaggle of pilots and technicians attempt to douse the fire now spreading across the cockpit of an X-Wing.

"Spread out! Find them!"

Poe's commanding tone penetrates the blaring of the warning siren as his Scouts investigate the edge of their encampment. The opening in the temple's side the Resistance use as a hangar open onto the rough rocky exterior of the mountainside, surrounded by pine forest. Upon closer inspection, the ancient temple isn't built into the mountainside, but buried by it. Poe shouts more orders when another explosion goes off behind him, a plume of orange smoke followed by the roar of flame. His ferocity increases when he notices what ship it was.

"Deck officers! Put those fires out now!"

Poe rowses two younger technicians, who rush forward to suffocate the flames spreading across the hull of his and Finn's U-Wing. Soldiers search the immediate area, behind crates, under sheets, beneath starfighters… but the culprit remains elusive. Another explosion goes off next to Poe and his mind finally clears.

"The detonations are delayed!" He yells. "Create a perimeter and spread out! Find them!"

The most recent explosion can be seen from the air as Finn, Rey, Jaytu, Rose, and their new recruits soar through the sky above the temple. Finn's eyes widen as he watches the flames through the pilot viewport. As a resistance commander, Finn's worries should be first and foremost with his comrades, his fellow soldiers. But he is also a man, and his first panicked thought concerns only one person.

"Poe…." he whispers.

The transport lands and the four friends and their new recruits charge into the chaos. A deep fear settles in Rey's stomach as she can sense the foul work of the Knights of Ren. Rose momentarily empathizes with their joiners, who gaze around at the trial-by-fire before them anxiously. Finn searches the crowd for Poe, but Rey's eyes meet that of Leia, accompanied by Chewie and Lando. Leia holds her blaster and a wary expression as she reaches for Rey. In the moment of silence before they reach each other, Rey's mind becomes passive, and her sense of the world around her deepens as she connects to the Force. It is then she notices a foreign object lodged underneath a starfighter's landing gear as Lando passes it. Recognising one of Cardo's bombs, Rey reactively reaches out through the Force and pulls Lando towards her as the spot behind him becomes engulfed in flame. Forced by the blast, Lando sprawls violently forward. Rey, managing to keep pace in the face of the blast, is first to his side.

"Rose, I need help!"

Whilst Finn, Chewie, and Leia just about gather what is happening, Rose barges past them, hand searching through her medic satchel for a medpac. She turns to the gaggle of recruits.

"Jaytu! Help me carry him inside!"

Lando moans as Rose and Rey turn him over, revealing a singed coat and the beginnings of a nasty burn. Rey instinctively moves to carry Lando inside but Rose holds her arm tight, fear fluttering her heart.

"They're still out there Rey," she says, trembling slightly. "Stop them."

Rey's instinct to help urges her to hug Rose, to tell her everything will be alright, but Rose is right. Rey nods as Rose and Jaytu shoulder Lando between them and guide him inside the hangar.

With no time to waste, Rey immediately takes off - her senses enveloping the world around her. She can feel the thirst for violence, like a foul stench left behind by a rabid beast. She follows the trail at speed as it dances between starships and finally, over towards the edge of their encampment and into the pillars of pine. Two bodies are being examined by soldiers as Finn hurries to join her.

"What do you see?"

But he can tell from her expression what she's found. Rey looks upon the two fallen soldiers, no older than nineteen. One has been felled by a bladed weapon, the other has suffered a stab wound. They had joined no less than six months before. Her hands shake with rage and guilt. She can't remember their names, but Finn can.

"Knocks and Meex," he says, his voice light with grief. He can sense her shame, her guilt. He knows much about guilt.

"Their lives aren't on you," he says firmly. "Are the hunters still here?"

Rey manages to brush aside her frustrations for now, wiping away the beginnings of angry tears. "No, they've fled into the mountain forest. I'm not sure where."

Finn calls over the team of Scouts before them, indicating to where Rey was looking.

"They headed that way. Proceed with caution, and report back."

"Yes Commander!"

Finn and Rey trudge back through the slush towards the base, when Finn spots something that both fills him with relief and dread. Poe Dameron, standing next to the Stormtrooper transport Finn had piloted into the base and staring at his twelve new recruits. As Finn approaches, they lock eyes. Finn is prepared for the argument, but the look of utter betrayal in Poe's eyes sends an unexpected icy spike through his heart.

"Poe, I-"

"What happened?" Poe is looking directly at Rey, more concerned with the matter at hand.

"Cardo and Vicrul escaped." Rey admits.

Her face is screwed up as she tries not to feel. "I'm sorry Poe, we contacted you as soon as we could."

Poe just shakes his head in disappointment. The forbidden sadness inside Rey stirs.

"Are they gone?"

"I can't sense them anymore, they must have fled." Rey's voice is small, apologetic.

Poe rubs his face with a gloved hand. He is so tired, and hurt. He rounds on Finn.

"I thought I specifically told you-" But Finn interrupts him.

"We need help in this fight, and these are the people we're fighting for!"

Finn's anxiety makes way for anger now. He positions himself between Poe and the recruits, looking up into his face with justified fury.

"They want to help and we are in no position to refuse!"

But Poe has reached his patience limit too, pointing a gloved finger down at Finn.

"We can't afford to waste time and lives on your naïve ideas of revolt, Finn! The Stormtroopers are the enemy, and we have to accept that if we are to win this war!"

The recruits behind Finn exchange hurt looks, and Rey can sense their distress. Finn can sense it too, and his fury bubbles into outrage.

"We can't win this war on our own, we can barely protect ourselves!" Finn rushes forward, he and Poe are millimeters apart. "Even if we blast every last Stormtrooper, then what? Our victory will be held up by the bodies of innocents. You really want that? Do you? General?"

Several Resistance soldiers are looking around at the source of the shouting now. Poe stares into Finn's furious face, breathing heavily.

"Stand down, Commander." Poe's voice rumbles with warning.

"Finn is right, Poe." Rey joins Finn's side. "They need our help, and we need theirs."

Deep down in Poe's mind, he knew she was right. He is beginning to see that they are outmatched, and not only is a call of unity to their enslaved foes the just course to ending this war, it is becoming more clear by the second it is the only course. Unfortunately, Poe has sacrificed too many lives to get them this far, and the weight of those sacrifices threatens to crush him if they don't win. And they must win. He turns his anguished gaze upon Rey.

"And how are we supposed to help them, Rey? You promised to protect us from the Knights, to stop their 'prophecy', but here we are!"

He waves a hand round at the several plumes of smoke still emanating from the hangar.

"We came here because 'the path to victory leads through Tyjimi', isn't that what you said?" P

oe opened his arms expectantly. "Where is it!?"

Words die in Rey's throat. She had been so sure that the shape of the future was right, that the defeat of the Final Order meant coming here, but now she doubts herself even more. She simply stares at Poe, without an answer. At that moment, she wishes she'd just stayed on Jakku and never troubled the Resistance with her presence. Poe turns back to Finn.

"You'll be responsible for these recruits. Anything they do will reflect-"

But Poe's attack on Rey has only stoked the flames of Finn's outrage further.

"You're damn right I'll be responsible."

He glares at Poe with aggressive resolve.

"And any good they do for the cause will only reflect the truth: the only way to truly defeat the Final Order is to end their oppression of ALL, not just some."

Finn pushes past Poe and guides his new recruits towards the temple hangar, but stops to deliver one final word.

"Some never got a chance to escape, to live free. Some were forced into battle, murdered. Like Slip."

The mention of the Stormtrooper he'd shot immediately freezes Poe with acute shock. Finn turns on his heel, unsure if he wants to look at Poe again. Finn's back vanishes into the crowd, as Poe regains his senses. He shots one last look at Rey before beginning the recall of his soldiers, and the evacuation.

And Rey is alone. The skeletal sadness grips her insides with cold hands and fresh strength. She ignores the sting at the corners of her eyes and looks up at the triangular shape of the ancient temple, wishing she knew why the Force had guided her here, wishing she had the strength to stop the prophecy, wishing desperately for help.

* * *

The large hangar of the Finalizer hasn't seen action for a week, since the battle over Brentaal IV. The guards, technicians, and pilots are astonished and panicked when they look up from their work to see the Supreme Leader's personal shuttle entering the ray-shield, unannounced. As the winged ship settles down, the infamous Night Buzzard just behind it, the scarlet armoured Stormtroopers form up hurriedly to flank the path of their leader. Their conditioning is potent, as Kylo Ren is greeted by a corridor of red soldiers as he descends his docking ramp.

Joined by his four followers, Ren makes his way through the gathered hundred soldiers and crew, but the surge of triumph it used to install in him is gone. The colour of the armour plates, of his saber, of the 'Final Order', was meant to signify the new galaxy he will rebuild from the flames of old. But after all he'd been confronted with; Snoke's hand in the creation of 'Kylo Ren', that 'Kylo Ren's' success meant complete destruction for the galaxy, and the words of his Uncle and Grandfather, a strange calm has taken hold inside Ren. He was so used to fighting inside and out that he remained confused by his newfound passivity. His lax outlook is not shared by his followers, however.

"Master!" Pants Ap'lek as he matches Ren's stride. "What is to be done about Hux?"

"He has made his legacy as a complete failure absolute," Ren replies softly. "Let us finish it."

Ap'lek nods in agreement. Ren's quiet tone seems to confuse Trudgen and Kuruk, who had only heard him communicate in silent gestures, grunts, shouts, or hissed commands. Ren's behavior only heightens Ushar's suspicion. His crude metal arm grinding against his warclub as they ascend the stairs and elevators towards the Finalizer's bridge. Admiral Hux will know they are on the ship by now, and Ren can't help but feel satisfied at being able to take away Hux's power, and imagines how he will plead and hide behind others he'd gotten to do his dirty work before. When they finally arrive at the bridge, the scene that greets them is rather different.

Forty Stormtroopers surround the outer walkway, blasters ready, but they are accompanied by several curious new additions. Ren has seen security droids and infiltration droids before, but not the giants that stand amongst the Stormtroopers, head and shoulders above them in height. They have small cylindrical heads, a gap in the middle bears several blinking photo-receptors. Large antenna protruded atop, and the head is perched on an obtuse torso with large square shoulders, elongated arms ending in pincers, and long thin legs. Each hold FMWB-10 heavy blaster in one hand, which speaks to their strength as a grown Stormtrooper can just about hold it in two. Their armour is painted scarlet to match their trooper allies, and their heads turn to watch Ren and his followers approach the central pathway. At the forward viewport gathers many of Hux's young trustees, including Lieutenant Quonit whose face is glazed in sweat. Facing away from Ren is Hux himself, gazing out of the window in his pristine white officer's uniform and cape. Ren exhales curtly.

"Are these new droids meant to intimidate me, Hux?"

Hux turns to meet Ren's gaze. He is as collected as ever, but Ren knows him well. The red marks around his eyes where he'd indulged in little sleep. The tension around his jawline, and in his gloved hands. Ren doesn't need the Force to know that Hux is scared for his life, and so he should be. He manages to keep the panic in his voice to a minimum.

"Not everything is about you, Supreme Leader."

Ren takes a step forward, curling his hands into fists beneath his long cape and gets straight to the point.

"Tell me Hux; How did you fail to capture the Resistance?"

Hux's micro reaction to Ren's advance is noticed by nobody other than his rival. Hux moves his hand slightly to draw closer to his blaster. The twenty officers, five lieutenants, forty Stormtroopers, five conformity droids and four Knights of Ren watch silently as the two powerful men size each other up. Hux considers his words carefully.

"The Resistance were deliberately diverted by my forces to-"

But Ren scoffs loudly. He lifts a hand almost lazily, and Hux's blaster pistol flies instantly from its holster into his hand. He tosses it into the well to his left where it bonks an unsuspecting officer on the head, who yelps. Ren advances towards Hux and his five lieutenants, the final blow on the tip of his tongue.

"Armitage Hux, I am relieving you of command. You will be executed, and your duties and charges reorganised."

Ren pushes the shaking lieutenants aside and seizes a fist full of Hux's pristine white uniform. He turns and throws Hux to the ground, his polished boots and scarlet lined cape splaying like an injured bird. Hux grunts in pain, blood spluttering from his nose. Ren turns his back on him, instead positioning himself before the central viewport and addressing his new personal army.

"Prepare the Finalizer for lightspeed, set a course of Othkore. We leave immediately."

In truth, for the first time in ten years Ren is unsure of the path ahead. The Oracle had given him certainties; the war will be decided upon the coming attack on Othkore, and that she will be there. Rey. He has only begun to unravel the answer behind this future the Oracle foresaw, that 'Kylo Ren' would bring destruction, but he knows who can help. Who has spoken the most sense since the Oracle had first appeared before him. He needs to get to Rey. It is the only thing he is sure of.

It is a moment or so before Ren realises his orders are not being met. The absence of 'Yes, Supreme Leader!' is telling. Cautiously, Ren turns. The Stormtroopers surrounding him seem to shudder, like branches in the wind. Their fingers grip their blaster rifles with unrelenting force, all forty barrels pointed at Ren. He looks around for an explanation, overlooking the smug expressions of the officers seated below them or the lieutenants now helping Hux to his feet. The Admiral stares unblinking at Ren, wiping blood from his nose with a handsome silk handkerchief. Ren can tell that he Hux is savouring his shock.

"The K-8IX Conformity Droids weren't the only trick up my sleeve, Supreme Leader." His words are dripping with repressed loathing, pulling back his white sleeve to reveal a blinking device attached to his wrist.

"Since I took over the Reconditioning Division from Phasma, I've made so many improvements, but the first was eliminating non-conformity completely."

Hux rises from the ground, proudly dusting his cloak. Ap'lek and Trudgen are only a few feet away, and move to lift their weapons aloft. A blaster bolt lands squarely before Ap'lek's outstretched boot, several Stormtroopers now shakily trailing their weapons on the dark warriors, but their movements are unnatural, tense. Ap'lek turns to them, livid.

"You heard your Supreme Leader!" He shouts at the Stormtroopers. "Arrest him!"

Hux chuckles darkly.

"What foolish brutes you all are. It was obvious you'd try to muscle your way into claiming my army, but there's something none of you understood. You have the power to control people, and you think me weak. But I am not weak. I am patient. And I will outlive you all, I have made sure of it."

He indicates to the device on his wrist. "The power to control one person is insignificant compared to controlling the greatest army the galaxy has ever seen. And this is my army, and there is nothing you or your blasted Force can do about that."

Ren looks from Hux to the shuddering, twitching Stormtroopers. The device is emitting some kind of audio frequency, and Ren remembers the cries through the Force from the Reconditioning Division on Othkore. Hux has found a way to sustain his troops fear through torture at the push of a button. With this sudden realisation, Ren realises the very future of the Final Order and the prophecy now hangs in the balance. He grits his teeth and throws caution to the wind.

"The Resistance are preparing to attack Othkore," he says, quickly. "The fate of the war depends on the outcome."

Hux's laugh is high and cruel.

"So desperate. How do you know this? Did the Force whisper this to you?"

He turns dramatically, his cape whipping around him as he surveys the four Knights of Ren standing frustratingly out of range.

"Or did one of your nameless delinquents divine it from some mossy runes?"

Hux's insults burn away at the little patience the Knights of Ren have. Ap'lek bares his teeth at Hux from beneath his mask. Trudgen bristles his muscles as he massages the hilt of his vibrocleaver. Kuruk trigger finger twitches uncontrollably, and the sound of groaning wood can be heard as Ushar's metal hand squeezes his warclub in rage. Hux apparently can't care less as he continues to address them.

"No, we will not be returning to Othkore, whose location is known by few aboard this ship. We will instead set a course for the Tyjimi system, where I have tracked the Resistance to. Or, more accurately, I have tracked your raggedy companions to."

Ren stares at Hux in utter shock. How did Hux know where Vicrul and Cardo had gone? Hux delights in Ren's indignation.

"I knew you'd use the best of your hunters to find you precious Rey. I knew she was the key to your demise, to your own blindness. You use each other but I hold true loyalty. My men will never betray me."

Ap'lek looks from his master to Hux in confusion. What does Hux mean 'used'? They didn't use each other, did they? Ushar hadn't wanted to hear the truth that Hux speaks, but he feels oddly satisfied. He has been right about Ren, all along.

But Kylo Ren himself pays no mind to the truth in Hux's insults, which will cost him later.

"No," he replies calmly. "All you have done is stretched fear to its breaking point."

Ren looks around at the Stormtroopers trained on him, shaking as they hold their blasters aloft. "I was wrong, Hux. This will be your legacy, your final failure."

Hux admits to himself that he'd hoped for more tantrums, more rage. But Kylo Ren is strangely calm, and it unnerves Hux.

"It's Grand Admiral now, Ren."

And with an indication to fire, Hux ends the rivalry between the two for them once and for all.

But Kylo Ren is not a man easily killed. The room erupts into a barrage of blaster fire. The Knights of Ren turn to run, and Kuruk is faster than these young troopers. With a flick of his fingers, his custom rifle blasts several jerking Stormtroopers away from the exit. Kylo Ren commands the Force with clear purpose. A dozen blaster bolts freeze in mid air before him, and he wastes no time. Darting under the hovering energy needles, drawing his saber hilt and igniting the crackling blade, intending to spear Hux through the chest. The lightsaber stabs through a shoulder, but it is not the face of Armitage Hux that screams in pain. The red-haired coward pulls Lieutenant Quonit between him and Ren at the last second.

"AAAAAAARRRGHHHH!"

As Quonit's body goes limp from the pain, Hux backs into the pit surrounded by Officers. Quonit drops to the floor unconscious as Ren pursues Hux, but the Grand Admiral scrambles away with great speed. Just above Ren, Trudgen and Ap'lek deflects blaster bolts with raw power whilst Ushar dispatches two guards flanking the exit doorway, which springs open automatically. Ren knows the Knights will leave without him, and his window for seizing revenge is mere seconds. He advances, deflecting blaster bolts harmlessly away, and looks into the watery eyes of Armitage Hux. Hate used to pulse through him when he'd done so in the past. But now, in this split second, he sees Hux for who he is; a man who desperately seeks control, and by whatever means necessary. And, with Hux cowering beneath him, Ren has only pity in his heart, where he once desired vengeance.

But his time is up.

A blaster bolt whistles past Ren's face and he dashes, his cape shreds from blaster fire. Ren leaps onto the walkways and sprints for the door, his body low to the ground. His saber cuts the air and deflects two well placed blaster belts, and he feels his feet groan as he runs. A flurry of blaster fire grazing his back, the offending conformity droids giving chase, but Kylo Ren is just too fast. Ren disappears beyond the command bridge door, narrowly avoiding the torrent of gunfire. A pair of flametroopers guard the corridor, and take aim at him. With the dexterity and precision of one trained to wield the Force, Ren ducks underneath the barrel of the incinerator and kicks the flametroopers into the throng of troopers and droids now gathering behind him. Now Ren is running full speed down the corridor, Stormtroopers and conformity droids hot on his heels, his four allies dashing just ahead.

They blast their way into the hangar. Ren follows the trail of bodies and finally catches up with his followers. As they make the final dash for the ships, Ren's spins around to deflect a flurry of blaster bolts into the head of a conformity droid that tails them. It drops to the floor with a surprisingly loud 'CLANG!', soon swarmed by more Stormtroopers and droids. In front of them, a squad of troopers and droids block their access to the shuttle and Night Buzzard.

Kylo Ren pushes past his four allies, who are preparing to take the hangar from cover, and strides out into the storm of blaster bolts. His crossguard saber weaves through their air like a dreadful baton as he interrupts the barrage. Ren can hear the curious signal from Hux's device through the Force, reverberating inside the Stormtroopers helmets, forcing them to act desperately from afar. Ren summons his command of the Force, but instead of drawing on the churn of his frustrations, he is calm and focused. Without his usual emotional fuel, Ren fears the Force may abandon him in this desperate gamble. But he is wrong. The squad of soldiers blocking their escape are repelled backwards, skidding on the hangar floor. Spearheaded by this blast and backed by Kuruk's blaster fire to fend off the faster conformity droids, they quickly cut a path towards their ships.

The winged shuttle extends its wings and the Night Buzzard sputters to life. Swivelling round in the air and taking heavy fire from the trailing Stormtroopers and conformity droids, the two ships zoom out of the hangar, wounded and smoking, and jump to lightspeed. From the command bridge, Grand Admiral Hux watches the two ships disappear without a care in the world. He's done it. Maybe he'd crack that bottle in his drawer afterall. One of his young lieutenants straightens his hat and approaches.

"What are your orders, Grand Admiral?"

Behind him, twitching Stormtroopers drag the unconscious Lieutenant Quonit away, the charred hole just below his shoulder still smoking from Ren's attack. Armitage Hux dusts the shoulders of his impressive white cape and dabs at his bloody nose.

"Now that those cultists have been cut away, we wipe the very notion of Resistance from the galactic consciousness. Set a course for Tyjimi, where the dominion of the Final Order shall begin."

"Right away, Grand Admiral."

As the lieutenant bustles off, Hux lifts the wrist-mounted sonic device to eye level. He can scarcely believe that such a small contraption can reignite such fear that permeates the subconsciousness of his soldiers, and all within a reach at all times. He smirks to himself as he deactivates it and looks through the viewport triumphantly, out at the stars that will soon be his.

A collective gasp reverberates around the room as the Stormtrooper's muscles relax for the first time in half an hour. Most of them regain their posture quickly, as they are in the presence of the Grand Admiral after all. Just outside the command bridge door, one of the two downed flametrooper regains herself. But the other - TN-2729 - has reached her limit.

As the Finalizer jumps to lightspeed, she risks removing her helmet and takes huge gulps of air. What she had just experienced is so horrific, so unspeakable, it makes years of nightmares and Reconditioning seem like mere build-up. Suspended in the horror of her fear for those thirty minutes, she had been reduced to a tense shell of a person, only capable of being ordered to shoot by a voice in her ear. Before she replaces her helmet over her face, she steals a look at Hux's pristine caped back. This time her face contorts, her teeth gnash, her dark brown eyes narrow, and only one emotion fills her soul; pure rage.

* * *

Under her veneer of calm assuredness, Leia grows anxious. She has ventured away from the bustle of the hangar to find Rey, wandering the corridors of the ancient temple. Usually so eager to help, Rey has been strangely absent from the ongoing evacuation, and Leia's gut tells her that this is no coincidence. The passageways she walks down are roofed by veins of crystal that glow faintly, multiplying in strength as she delves closer to the temple's centre. Leia is about to call out for Rey, but notices a room to her right that is being illuminated by metallic sparks. Leia crosses the threshold and announces herself.

"Rey?"

The room is large and circular, with grooved patterned walls depicting a pictorial language Leia doesn't recognize. Several raised plinths are scattered around the room, one of which Rey has made into a temporary workbench. A large wrap of tools is laid out, and a stand holds Anakin's lightsaber in place. Sparks fly as Rey presses the macrofuser against the hilt.

The sparks cease and Rey removes the material mask and goggles from her sweaty face, and pulls one of the ancient Jedi tomes close to her nose, reading from a lengthy diagram. She tightens some screws around a welded scar were the two halves of the weapon meet, and slides her finger over the activation matrix. The saber gives a brief angry metallic hiss, but no shining blue blade appears. Rey holds the misbehaving weapon for a moment, then screws up her face in an anguished yell, tossing the silver weapon to the floor. It scrapes the dusty stone with a loud clang, settling at Leia's feet. She picks it up. The metal emitter is dented, the pommel scratched, with a copper scar wrapping around the middle. Although the welding is done by experienced hands, over thirty years of wear has begun to take its toll.

"I thought I'd find you tinkering."

Rey looks up suddenly at Leia's words, so focused on mending the saber she hadn't noticed her. She avoids Leia's gaze and spekas firmly to the floor.

"I just wanted to be alone for a while."

"No you don't," replies Leia knowingly. A stream of beeps from behind Leia announces the arrival of BB-8, who rolls excitedly into the room and chirps a greeting at Rey. But the young Jedi is less than enthused.

"I don't need your advice right now, I just need to-"

"Need to what?" Asks Leia, her tone sharp. "To hide away and try and do everything yourself once again?"

"I'm not hiding!" Retorts Rey. "I know what I need to do, I've just gotta figure out-"

"Don't take this on too. They didn't get away because of you. Don't be-"

"Angry?!" Rey yells. "I'm not angry at them! I have the way to stop them, to summon the Oracle, but, I-" She stutters, searching for the words.

Leia closes the gap between them, hand stretching towards the frustrated Jedi.

"What is it? What are you so angry at?"

But Rey has reached her breaking point. All the suffering, all the failure, all the agony and uncertainty that surrounds her closes in like an oppressive void. The deep, secret sadness inside rears its head, snaking skeletal hands around her throat, almost free. A flash of glazing frustration crosses Rey's face as she slaps Leia's hand away.

"I'm angry at myself!"

Leia's reaction is muted. She simply stares as the young Jedi takes long, anguished breathes. Rage fills her blood. And the floodgates open.

"You tell me to be kind but what have I achieved!? I failed to turn ben! I failed to capture the Knights of Ren! I led us here for no good reason! And I can't summon the Oracle because i'm scared, no, terrified of what she'll show me!"

A deep scream escapes her throat as she smashes the stone workbench with her arms and fists. The tools and books crash to the floor, and dust fills the space. BB-8 backs away into the shadows, but Leia stands her ground. Rey's breath escapes in great gasping huffs.

"I can't even fix that lightsaber. I'm still running away from everything. I'm a cowar-"

CRASH!

Rey's eyes bulge in shock as Leia strikes the stone plinth with the lightsaber, interrupting her. The sound echoes around the room. Leia looks more dangerous than any masked warrior as she bares down on Rey like an angry beast.

"Don't you dare say such things." Leia's voice crackles with rage. "Don't. I won't allow you to put everything onto yourself, I've had enough of it."

Rey reels backwards. She has never been spoken to like this in her life. But Leia shows no signs of remorse, prodding a ringed finger sharply into Rey's chest.

"Who aided in the destruction of Starkiller Base? Who bought my brother back from the brink of despair? Who rescued the Resistance from certain defeat?"

With each sentence, Leia jabs her finger into Rey.

"Who stopped the Knights of Ren from destroying us today? Who holds out hope for my son? WHO?"

Rey slumps onto the stone stool, simply too stunned to reply. Leia jabs her finger a final time.

"You did. I have had enough of hearing how you wished you could have done better when you have already achieved so much. If you will not be kind to yourself then I damn well will."

"And this?" She holds up the battered old lightsaber. "This is your problem, right here. You're still clinging to the past. My father built this weapon in a time when good people betrayed their integrity."

She places the saber on the stone workbench and kneels down before Rey, looking at her with genuine reverence.

"But not you. Time and time again you have pushed on, against temptation, amidst all the suffering you've encountered." She chuckles suddenly. "You and Finn are even pushing against the Resistance to be more, to be better."

The Jedi looks down at Leia, tears wetting the edges of her eyes. The snaking sadness inside her is strangled by a small thought, an comforting idea - this is what having a mother would be like. Even just for a moment. The thought is so powerful it seems to fill Rey's entire chest. Leia squeezes Rey's hands.

"I don't know what the answers are; what to do with the Jedi skills you've learned, why the Force brought you here, how to fix the saber, how to stop the prophecy, how to save my son-" Her voice cracks with grief. "But I know that the one person who's pulled through everything that's come before. It's you, Rey. You have everything you need."

The tear finally streaks down Rey's cheek, and an anguished smile crosses her lips.

"Thank-you," she says in a small voice.

BB-8 rolls across the room and leans his domed head against Rey's leg. She wipes away her tears and attempts to shrug off her embarrassment in being so emotionally exposed. She straightens up and attempts to get back to tinkering. Leia stands as well, still affixing her with a sympathetic look. As Rey gathers the pile of tools and books, BB-8 whistles to her.

"What is it BB-8?"

The round droid immediately empties the entire contents of his storage onto the floor with comically little shame. He knows that Rey likes spare parts and has been collecting bits and pieces for her, carrying them around in his mechanical belly. The remains of Rey's trustry staff and blaster are among the spoils, and BB-8 beeps excitedly, hoping to cheer his friend. Rey's eyes glitter with passion.

"Oh BB-8, all for me?! This will definitely help-"

But she stops suddenly. Amongst the scrap metal sits a peculiar rock. Peculiar, as it feels different from other materials. Alive, somehow.

"What is it Rey?" Asks Leia, concerned by Rey's expression.

Rey picks up the rock and realizes where it is from; trapped in the gums of the young, crystal hungry exogrub on Brentaal IV. Rey places the rock at the centre of the workbench. She searches her tools for a small hammer, to break the rock open, but another idea enters her mind. She removes her glove and places her naked hand upon the rock, and reaches into the Force. The rock reacts immediately, splitting abruptly down the middle. As she withdraws her hand, it falls in half to reveal what's inside - a clear shard of crystal. Rey picks it up between her fingers to examine it, and immediately the colour of it changes, as though refracting light. Holding the yellowish-green shard in her hand, further realisation dawns on Rey. She lifts the Jedi text she was studying from and searches the diagram frantically.

"Rey what is it?!" Repeats Leia, but Rey simply beams at her. She picks up Anakin's worn lightsaber from the bench and hands it back to Leia, along with her own words.

"I've got everything I need."

Leia takes the lightsaber tentatively, not really understanding what Rey means. Rey places the diagram on the bench and the crystal before it, and settles onto the stool. Closing her eyes, she stretches her hand and breathes slow and deep. Immediately, the pile of junk pieces float into the air, attempting to fit themselves together like floating jigsaw pieces. The cylindrical shaft of her staff forms a body as circuitry from her blaster is unfolded and restructured. The rings from her staff bend and separate to form an emitter, the powercell of her blaster shrinks and connects to the circuitry, the barrel of her blaster forms a thin neck, and an off cut of material from her wrist guards wrap to form a handgrip. Once the contraption is assembled in mid air, it collapses telescopically to form a recognizable metal hilt. Finally, the crystal floats into the circuitry and disappears beneath the shroud. Rey opens her eyes and gets to her feet, the saber hilt floating into her hand where she slides one of the metal rings. The room is quickly filled by a yellow-green glow as the blade of Rey's lightsaber shimmers in the dusty air.

BB-8 chirps his surprise. The sadness inside Rey retreats fully as she looks from her saber to Leia triumphantly, and to the hilt in Leia's hand. The full scope of what she's just achieved dawns on her: she's not just holding a scavenged Jedi weapon, she is holding her weapon. This knowledge, these skills, can be used for anything. For the first time since taking on the title, she truly feels like a Jedi of the old stories, powerful and free. Her mind pushed for more; what is she going to do with this?

But something brings her crashing back to reality. The memory of That Day breaks the surface of her mind. Just a fragment; a crying child, alone. Wishing for companionship, guidance, love. Rey desperately wants to reach back all those years, hug the child tight, give her all the things she needs. But she grew up alone, into the girl who searched for love amongst the stars, scared of what awakened within her.

That girl found someone who shared her feelings, listened, comforted her, and when finally she was ready to bring him into her life… he couldn't let go. The pain and manipulation he'd gone through had festered, woven itself into his very core. He had sought the Oracle to cure his ills, but her prophecy would instead bring about his worst fear. He had endeavoured alone, and he had failed.

Rey sought a reason why all these memories of her failures and struggles are surfacing all at once as she holds her new shimmering weapon. She couldn't be there for the crying girl all those years ago, but she can be there for Ben Solo, who suffers alone right now. And she finally admits to herself what this feeling is that surrounded her and him. And the great sadness inside her, the loneliness, grief, and despair shrink away. Finally, her realisation plateaued into a crescendo of understanding, as if a pattern has emerged among the trajectory of her life. She feels such joy she could weep, as if she were finally seeing-

"-My place in all this," she finishes out loud.

Rey gazes around and sees Leia and BB-8 looking intrigued. She had forgotten they were there. She attempts to actualize her realisation into words. She thinks of Ben, and then further into all those out in the stars who believe themselves alone, unloved, unwanted.

"It's alright now, I know what I want to do. I can guide others, I can help them now!"

She holds the hilt aloft and clicks the ignition ring, the blade vanishing with a snap-hiss. "I will help them," she resolves.

Rey attaches the lightsaber to her belt and flashes her perky grin at Leia.

"And, I know just who to start with. I'll stop this prophecy, whatever the cost." She stands tall and proud. "I will help him. Because I-"

The word catches in her throat. Though she has come so far in understanding her own feelings in the past few minutes, she has apparently reached the limit. Rey is suddenly flustered by her own emotional stuntedness, but Leia knows exactly the word that she'd choked on. Leia's lip trembles. She takes Rey's arm tight and squeezes it. Rey drops all pretence and pulls Leia into a warm and loving hug. Even Leia's iron resolve cannot stop her eyes from leaking.

"I'll help him, I promise." Rey whispers into Leia's ear. But Leia can only nod as she holds back the sobs.

As they break apart Rey notices something. Though her saber is away, the room still glows with the yellow-green hue of her blade. She stares up at the cavernous ceiling and realises the crystals are reacting strangely. Leia notices too and they examine the wall, where two veins of crystal diverge. Rey fetches her lightsaber hilt and holds it against the crack of glowing minerals. Like blowing on hot coals, the veins illuminate immediately.

BB-8 exclaims a few whistles from behind as a pulse seems to reverberate around the room. Rey holsters her saber and outstretches her hand, her feelings stretching beyond her body to touch the world around her. She realises that the temple walls do not 'feel' like rock; they are alive, breathing, pulsing, like the belly of a living stone beast. The veins of crystal weave through the walls to make an intricate network that pulses with the energy of the Force. The veins stretch all the way to the peak of the pyramid, and down past where the base of the pyramid should be, miles and miles down to reach a second peak deep underground. Rey reels for a moment at these revelations; this is no ancient pyramid, but something far greater; an octahedron temple that pulses with the energy of the Force!

Suddenly excitement grips Rey, a hunch. She had led the Resistance on a nudge from the Force, a feeling of their path to victory leading through Tyjimi. Could this be…?

Rey's mind races as she stares frantically around the room, following the crystal with her fingers and examining the odd symbols on the walls. Leia watches her in complete ignorance of her discoveries.

"Rey? What-"

"The temple!" Exclaims Rey in the throws of childish enthusiasm. "The temple is alive! I can feel it through the Force!"

"It's not a ruin?!" Questions Leia.

BB-8 produces a small flashlight from his body, illuminating Rey and the walls of the stone room. Rey's hands search the glyphs etched into the wall hungrily. She knows them somehow, but how? Rey closes her eyes and searches her mind, thinking of all the different symbols she'd seen, in starship manuals, datapads, hangar signage, books-

"Books!" She exclaims.

Rey scrambles past BB-8 and sifts through the Jedi texts she'd thrown to the floor, until she finds the difficult tome she'd been thumbing through at night - 'Aionomica'. She opens the cover to a symbol cipher at the front, and begins to translate the symbols before her.

"Rey, talk to me!" Pleads a frustrated Leia. "What's going on?"

Completing the last letters of the three verse inscription upon the wall, Rey's eyes are wide in astonishment.

"It's not a ruin at all, it can interact with the Force, like we can!"

She traces the last words of the verse etched into the wall. "And can use it to..."

Leia hangs closer on Rey's words. "To what?"

Rey suddenly charges from the room, beckoning BB-8 and Leia to follow. She can feel the veins of the temple, like a web of threads, leading her where she wants to go. Ascending a flight of stars brings them to a large room, with a sloping far wall forming the outer shell of the temple. The room has several raised stone blocks that curve like control consoles. In the centre, a stone column stands alone with a sphere resting atop it. Rey approaches the sphere with a panting Leia and BB-8 behind her. The room is lit by the faint yellow-green glow, and Rey feels the crystal veins leading to this spot. Inlaid in the sphere are several glyphs, and she translates one that says 'wake'. She places her palm onto it and reaches into the Force.

The effect is immediate. The room rumbles like a gurgling stomach, dust kicking up as though the temple itself shudders. The glyph under Rey's palm glows with the same yellow-green light, and before her eyes the etching changes, the stone seemingly receding and warping to form new glyphs. Another pulse ripples through the place as symbols and drawings in the walls glow with supernatural brightness. The raised stone blocks surrounding her glow as well, and the stone wall before them creak. Great rectangular slabs of the stone wall part to reveal a huge viewport. Rey can just see the tops of the pine forest, the far off peaks of Tyjimi's spiked needle ranges, and up into the stars above. The sudden rush of cold winter wind is halted by a haze that comes over the newly formed viewport, which Rey recognizes as some kind of magnetic shield. She looked down upon the sphere and the newly formed glyphs, and what she reads there makes her heart beat even faster. Leia looks from the young Jedi to the glowing glyphs to the huge viewport in awe.

"What is it?" Leia asks.

"This is the navigation room." Rey replies.

Rey has touched the temple through the Force, and its structure confirms stories she'd read in the Aionomica.

"Piloted by ancient Force-users to cross the stars," she repeats to herself.

BB-8 whistles in surprise. "'Piloted'?" Queries Leia. "A flying temple?"

"It's not a temple!" Replies Rey triumphantly. "It's a starship!"

* * *

"Well what did she say exactly?!" Demands Rose.

Finn rolls his eyes. He is just ahead of Rose and Jaytu on the second flight of stone steps, following directions relayed to them over comms.

"I told you, she said the temple can fly!"

They approach a large room as Jaytu scoffs.

"On what power is it going to lift off the ground and blast into hyperspace?!"

"The power of the Force," replies Rey.

Their mouths hang open as they examine the navigation room that Leia, BB-8 and Rey now stand in the centre of. The glowing symbols and floating sphere dazzles Finn. But before he can express his surprise –

"What's going on?"

Finn turns as two figures enter the navigation room: Baron Lando Calrissian and General Poe Dameron. Lando's left arm is supported by a makeshift sling, and a look of sheer amazement is etched across his face.

"Oh it's beautiful," Lando mutters.

He crosses the room, staring round at the glowing symbols and coming to a stop next to Leia. "Never in all my years have I seen something like this."

Poe locks eyes with Finn, who turns away. Poe addresses Rey in a business-like tone.

"You said the temple is a starship?"

"Not only that, it's why we're here, on Tyjimi!"

Rey stands proud as she directs her words towards Poe. "You trusted me when I sensed we should come here, I think this is it."

Poe's brow furrows. "What do you mean? This place can fly?"

"And so much more. It can protect us, it's shield is near impenetrable, but the best part-"

Rey runs her hand over the control sphere and presses a sequence of glyphs. A pulse emanates through the veins of glowing crystals around them, and the stone floor beneath them moves. A circular pattern forms across the floor, and the outlines rings elevate, rotating on an axis. Poe steps back in awe at the great rings above him as they turn, and he notices crystals inlaid in them, glyphs to each side. As the centre of the stone astrolabe sits a circular plate, with crystals and symbols that look similar to a holographic star map.

"It's a map of hyperspace lanes." Poe mutters, dumbstruck by the structures before him.

Rose stares from the stone astrolabe to Rey, excitement building in her heart.

"It really flies?"

Rey matches her excitement and beckons Rose over to one of the raised stone terminals. Rose sits and Rey places Rose's hand on a stone shaped like a pyramid, which glows in response. Another pulse goes out and this time, the temple itself begins to wake. Inside the temporary hangar, Resistance personnel - still in the throws of evacuation - look up in astonishment as patterns, symbols and pictures snake their way across the walls of the base, lights dancing off their faces. The temple rumbles like a volcano, sending up clouds of dust and prompting a few porgs nested in its walls to screech in protest. The effect can be felt by the eight companions gathered in the navigation room. Rose's face glows red with apprehension, the temple rumbling at her touch, but Rey knows nothing but elation, turning to Poe.

"This is it, Poe. A mobile fortress to shield and transport us. With this, the Resistance will be protected." She approaches the General close, and holds him by the shoulders. "With this, we've got a chance."

Finn is beside himself, laughing and cheering in dizzy amazement, which Lando and Jaytu join. Rose laughs out of sheer hopefulness, her worries from the battle earlier forgotten completely. Leia simply watches Poe and Rey, feeling she has made some excellent choices for leadership. Poe's shoulders relax as he takes in all this new information.

"Our strategic advantage is just-! We can protect and safely transport the fleet anywhere, even get right up in the Final Order's face!"

He grasps Rey's shoulders too. "This changes everything."

Rey smiles so hard her cheeks hurt. Poe pulls her into a one-armed hug and runs a hand through his tangled hair, looking around at the glowing walls.

"By the stars this is... amazing."

His elation turns to embarrassment as he breaks away from Rey. The things he'd said earlier weigh heavily in the face of such a colossal discovery, and he becomes solemn once more. Rey senses more than he would have liked through the Force.

"Listen Rey, the things I said, these powers you have, I just didn't get-"

But Rey doesn't need nor want these words.

"It's already forgotten, General."

Poe chuckles at the use of the honorific, and his eyes return, for a moment, to where they'd been itching to look. Rey, of course, notices.

"There is someone who could use a good, uh, apology," says Rey quietly so only he can hear her.

"He's right about the real enemy Poe. And you know that, don't you?"

Poe looks at her imploring, loathing that she can penetrate even the staunchest of emotional walls.

"I can see where he's coming from," Poe admits. "I just can't afford to risk anything else."

Rey cannot help but flash him a half concealed grin.

"You are talking about the Resistance, right Poe?"

Poe's cheeks flush and he glares at her sharply. "And what else would I be talking about, Jedi?"

Rey holds back her laughter and shrugs her shoulders. "Maybe you should take some risks?"

Poe shakes his head at her cheek. "And when did you get so wise?"

"I'm getting there!"

With her duty to the Resistance fulfilled, Rey's next task is exceedingly more daunting. She watches as Poe shouts orders to retreat inside the temple into his wrist comm, and Finn, Rose, Jaytu and Lando use the Aionomica to begin to understand how the temple works. Content that the temple is in good hands, she attempts to summon the feeling of power and courage she had felt earlier; holding her new saber aloft. In truth, though she'd come to understand so much in the past hour about herself, she dreads facing the Oracle. Rey knows what 'truth' she'd have to exchange, and the sadness inside her flexes its claws at the prospect. Armed with naught but her saber, Rey turns her back on the room. It's time.

"Sneaking off again?"

Rey turns, and should have guessed she wouldn't have been able to fool Leia. She keeps her inner courage lit as she meets Leia with calm assurance.

"It's time for me to face it."

"I know," replies Leia. "But you won't be going alone."

BB-8 rolls out from behind Leia and joins Rey, making a head start down the stairs. Rey is genuinely touched at how perfect of a companion the little droid is. She turned to leave.

"Rey?"

She turns back to look at Leia. There are no hidden truths between them now, and the two women simply look at each other as equals.

"The Force will be with you, always," says Leia encouragingly.

The Jedi bows her head, then turns and disappears towards the core of the temple. Her senses tell her that the veins meet there, and she can summon the Oracle away from prying eyes. For what she will face there brings her deep shame and hurt. An experience only truly understood by one other person - Ben.


	8. Part II - The Infiltration

As Rey and BB-8 walk the stone hallways towards the core, Rey can feel the energy multiply around her, as if the very air is dense with the Force itself. The nexus of this power is at the centre of the dark stone mass, but Rey is drawn by the threads to a different room. She descends further into the uncharted gloom, passing abandoned rocks, overgrown vines and schools of glowflies. Rey guesses she must be walking beneath the side of the temple buried in the mountain when she descends a large stairway into the place she is being led.

The atrium has three entrances, situated either side of the doorway she and BB-8 now stand in. The atrium ceiling is high, ending in a magnificent criss-crossing of stone arches. To her right, six long rectangular gaps in the stone allow the afternoon sunlight to seep through, the familiar haze of the magnetic field visibly keeping rocks, sand, and pine needles from spilling into the atrium from the surface of the mountain outside. Six long gaps in the wall also appeared to her left, but only showing more of the temple's walls. Several layers of stone overlap underneath her feet, with large rivers of crystal embedded across the floor, leading to the main attraction of the atrium erected upon the wall opposite Rey. She crosses the room with difficulty - several large rocks and stones have spilled in from the outside and eroded over the years - before she finally reaches the top of the overlapping stone steps.

A large statue, standing at over ten feet tall, meets her at the top of the steps. It's details have been lost to time. Rey can just make out two large arms crossing palms over the chest of the presumably feminine statue. Rey recognises more glyphs and reaches out to touch them. The glow in recognition, and the arms unfold as the statue hums and glows with the same crystal energy. The stone morphs and recedes as the statue tilts her eroded chin to 'look' at Rey, lowering her body towards her and opening her arms. These movements have the same noises and curious behavior of stone that greeted her touch in the navigation room. Rey watches in complete bewilderment as a gust of hot air rises from a hole in the statue's chest, previously enclosed by the hands. The hole is big enough for Rey to look inside and, having nothing to fear, she does

The moisture on Rey's face evaporates immediately as she stars down onto a river of molten rock far below. Rey has never seen lava before, but can guess from the unbearable heat it is fire of some kind. As she retreats from the opening her head bumps something that hangs in mid-air. Rey rubs her head and looks closer - something small and glittering is being suspended in the chest of the statue. A kyber crystal, the size of Rey's index finger. It's coloured blue, with flecks of yellow, and has a large crack through the centre - which Rey guesses is from withstanding the many years it has hung here. This must be the temple's power source, how it conducts and interacts with the Force. Though pleased with her discovery, Rey is here for a reason afterall and steels herself for it.

The ritual is simple enough. It requires a specific incantation, her blood given onto flame, and an exchange of hidden knowledge - as the Oracle never gives that which she does not receive. Rey remembers the incantation she had sensed in Vicrul's memory, curious that he was in no rush to hide it from her. The blood was easy enough, and the atrium has provided her a fire to use too. It is the forfeit hidden knowledge that Rey fears the most.

Rey looks around and retrieves a sharp rock on the floor before her, cleaning it and pressing it across her right palm. A deeper cut than she intended opens and a stream of blood wet her fingers. She grits her teeth at the pain, and the sadness within her claws at her insides too. She's terrified.

Rey looks down into the large eye of BB-8, who whistles happily at her. Her frown disappears momentarily.

"Ready BB-8?"

He beeps happily at her. Rey nods back.

She approaches the statues and places her hand into its chest opening. She is only able to hold it there for a moment as the heat from the lava stream below grows unbearable. The crystal brushes against her skin white hot, and she withdraws her now sore right hand. Several droplets of blood disappear into the depths of the statue, and a light hiss can be heard as they evaporate. Rey stares at the face of the statue and begins to repeat the words she sensed in Vicrul's mind;

"Tzirji Utimuna, amohtsawsi sis udati ir tsûtri wa dzis tu'iyia zijia!"

Milky white smoke billows from the opening in the statue's chest, filling the atrium in an unnatural swirl. Rey and BB-8 take a few steps back, but the young Jedi continues the summoning incantation with vigor, she mustn't falter now.

"Ziji mus! Ziji mus! Ziji mus!"

As the smoke billows into amorphous shapes around her, the atrium itself begins to grow dark. The sunlight fades out, and even the shape of BB-8 is hard to make out amongst the mist that laps Rey's legs. She looks up to see the cloud of white stretch above her, forming six long arms and a flat, semi-circular face with two wide staring eyes. The Oracle bares over Rey like a colossal bird of prey stretching its wings before feeble game. Her ominous sing-song voice reverberates off the high atrium walls.

" _Greetings summoner, your offerings paid are rich but inadequate. In exchange for my future sight, more must you compensate."_

Rey guesses this is more a statement than warning, as the Oracle appears to mean her no harm. From somewhere in the fog, BB-8 whistles in surprise at the events unfolding before him. Rey takes another deep breath, and the last of her deluded hope pushes through.

"What is it you want from me?" She asks, in a vain hope she will be required to give something else, _anything_ else. She is wrong. The Oracle stares down at her, seeing through Rey's attempt to escape her fate.

" _You will be permitted one question to which I will consult with my true sight. In order to achieve this I covet a truth to be brought to light."_

" _You know of what I seek, the memory shielded by a precious lie. I see all, so attempt not to deceive me, Jedi."_

Rey opens her mouth, but the Oracle continues as though she'd voiced the words on her tongue.

" _Close your eyes and we both shall see. There are no secrets between us, let your mind be free."_

A lump forms in Rey's throat as she realises there's no other option. The great sadness claws up her stomach, after almost twenty years it can smell freedom. Rey kneels and closes her eyes, steadying her breathing. The echoing sounds of the room around her vanish, the Oracle's voice interrupting the silence.

" _Courage, Rey from Jakku, I mean you no harm. What you seek will be yours if you remain calm."_

Rey focuses, digging into the buried recesses of her memory. Days and days of hot scavenging. The crushing loneliness and bitter desert cold creeping into her home, a tomb of rusted metal and rags. Her voice being strained for lack of use. Scratching a mark of another day gone by. Wondering what a birthday celebration is. Then, the memory approaches.

At first this delve into her psyche has been strangely cathartic, like stretching a limb that's gone to sleep, but now comes the accompanying pain. Years ago, she's standing near the outskirts of Niima Outpost, about five years old. She rubs her tired eyes with balled up fists as she wails. The cries grow louder, and louder, and the skeletal sadness escapes her stomach and wraps an icy hand around her heart. Two adult shapes move above the crying child, and now both the child and the Jedi let out a cry of anguish.

Rey's eyes snap open as she gasps for air. She breathes sharply and without grace as tears dribble onto the dusty floor beneath her, doubled over on her hands and knees, shaking. From what seems so far away she can hear BB-8 calling for her, but she sees only mist. Alone. The sadness has climbed out of its prison and sunk its teeth into her heart, slowly, with relish. A desperate cry escapes her throat as she shuts her eyes against the pain, and only one thought runs through her head:

_I can't do this. I can't do this. I can't do this. I can't do this. I can't do this. I can't do this. I can't do this. I can't do this. I can't do this. I can't do this. I can't do this. I can't-_

"Rey?"

The sound of Ben's voice shocks Rey so much, the words disappear from her mind. She looks up, face wet with sweat and tears. A large shape is groping around in the mist before her. By the stars, if this is an illusion, a creation of the Oracle, Rey feels as though she might implode, to cease to exist on the spot. But the way the shape moves, the way his hair bounces as he searches through the fog. It _has_ to be.

"Rey, are you here?"

"Y-yes."

Her voice is hoarse and strained. She can hear soft footfalls and Ben's pale face materialises from the fog, looking down at her. The expression he wears is of worry. Only once has he looked at her with such concern; in the throne room of the _Supremacy_ , almost a year ago. But then his eyes burned with spite, vengeance, and other dark things Rey cannot name. Now, he looks upon her with nothing but empathy. The scar across his right eye is no longer dyed an angry red, it has started to fade. From beneath the folds of his cloak he unfurls a hand. His gloves are missing, and there is a bloody cut across his palm.

The sad beast that clings to Rey's heart squeezes her very insides and she gasps in pain. His hand stops in midair as he hesitates, trying to decide on a course of action. He doesn't just see that she is in pain, he can feel it too. He crouches down before her and fiddles with a clasp on his tunic, and Rey feels the warm embrace of his thick cloak as he swings it around her shoulders. His hands are soft and warm as they press the cloak onto her, and she simply stares at him. He retracts his hands and matches her stare.

"It wasn't easy for me, you were right." He begins earnestly. "But it was worth it."

Despair spreads through Rey's insides like ice as she fights not to cry. He feels her struggle through their bond and presses on.

"The Oracle didn't give me what I wanted, but what I _needed_. Rey, this temple... it's the key to fulfilling the prophecy. But I can't alter the future, that's what she told me."

His eyes darken. "Snoke used me."

Rey fights her despair ferociously. What he has just told her about the temple sends her mind racing, questions and answers fight at each other, but first a certainty.

"No," she replies defiantly. "The future she spoke of is of _Kylo Ren_."

Rey stares back at him intensely, and realisation dawns across his pale face. He nods in acknowledgement. Maybe there is still hope. Maybe there always was.

"When it was time, I used _your_ words to banish Snoke for good," he admits quietly. "I wasn't strong enough." He looks at her with watery eyes. "Thank-you."

A sudden surge of fire bursts through Rey's cold body. A strained, grateful laugh escapes her lips as all her efforts to get through to him are justified. She nods in acknowledgement, shaking some tears loose. With a great effort she stands, and so does he. Her hand twitches. She wants to reach over and embrace him, to offer him to share in all she has gained through her hardships. She wants to tell him everything, that she's finally ready to be with him. But they're out of time. The sounds of landing gear reverberate through their bond across the stars. He turns his head slightly, then back to her.

"I've got to go," he whispers.

Rey can feel that he doesn't want to leave her, but she can also sense what he is about to do. Just the thought of it fills her with such courage, she could have faced down an entire army with her bare hands. The dried tears on her face sting as her cheeks squish under a wide smile.

"I know," she replies.

Then the two simply stare at each other for a moment. Both just gasping for air above their own sea of hurt, but in this moment they're not alone. Rey realises that if she reaches out to him now, she will never let go. Never face what awaits her, or allow him to do the same. And he can feel the sadness that grips her, how hard this is for her to do alone. He curses himself, his circumstances, but the only thing either of them can do is move forward.

"I'll see you on the other side." She promises, with forced finality.

Neither of them have ever faced such a test. For once, he allows himself to hope for the best. He allows himself to hope to see her again. He promises himself that, after his work is done, there will be no holding back when they reunite. She grips at his cloak around her shoulders, awaiting his reply.

"I'll be there." He promises.

He manages one last hungry look at her features before turning on his heel and disappearing from Rey's view.

* * *

The interior of the misty temple disappears, and the familiar hum of his shuttle fills Ren's ears. They have landed. The planet Zoh is a barren junkyard, inhabited only by colossal garbage droids. The shuttle settles upon a familiar landing pad, and Ren can hear the _Night Buzzard_ touching down on one similar, not too far away. The pads are situated atop a mountain of compressed scrap metal, a small bridge conjoining them. Last time they were here, they had plotted the downfall of Hux and Ren himself had vowed to change the Oracle's prophecy. Now, Hux has complete control of the Final Order and it's armies, and Rey is attempting to succeed where he had failed.

But it is not Kylo Ren that clips his crossguard saber to his belt. Not Kylo Ren that picks up the devoured helmet of Vader and stares at it, the words of his Uncle and Grandfather filling his mind. It is not Kylo Ren who walks out into the cold rain of Zoh, the ice water piercing his bare hands. He holds the helmet of Vader before him, an omen, a warning.

He looks up. On the far landing pad, he can make out Trudgen and Kuruk checking the landing gear through the rain. He is expected to join them and begin the prophesied trials. The sight of them fills him with fear. His muscles tighten and his back straightens. Each of their helmets is a fragment of Kylo Ren's masked face, but it goes deeper. Ren's immaturity lives in their words, his arrogance lives in their alias', his selfishness lives in their faux brotherhood, his rage lives in the weapons they are never seen without. The man standing in the rain fully realizes the power these men hold over him for the first time, and he almost turns back.

But the raging conflict inside him doesn't return.

He has been expecting it since the Skywalkers disappeared, but his pessimism is in vain. He starts to walk, putting one foot in front of the other with a great effort into the unknown. The only thing he knows for sure is that, when he's with her, he's on the right path. Ren's strides become firm, driven, focused. But he does not bristle with anger and frustration. A strange calm falls over him. He stops suddenly, the helmet still in his hand. A canyon of scrap stretches a mile below him, standing right in the middle of the grated bridge conjoining the two landing pads. The air is putrid here but he breathes deep, unencumbered, passive. A strange yet familiar mist creeps in at the edges of his vision. Even with the need to see Rey driving him, doubt roots Ren to the spot. What if he's not strong enough to face them? What if he's not strong enough to truly rid the galaxy of Kylo Ren? What if he's not-

"Hey kid."

There's no mistaking that voice. Ren turns slowly and looks upon the face of Han Solo. He can't breath. Han looks as he did on Starkiller Base, a sight Ren experienced a lifetime ago. Ren's eyes dart around suspiciously. This must be another of the Oracle's tricks. He refuses to be compromised by an illusion.

"You're dead." He speaks the truth defiantly at the apparition, but it is unphased. There is only one other possibility that crosses Ren's mind.

"You're just a memory." He finishes dejectedly. The calm he felt not moments ago vanishes as all the consequences of Kylo Ren threaten to crush him.

" _Your_ memory," corrects Han.

Ren takes a sharp intake of breath. He doesn't dare believe it. He can't afford to stretch feeble hopes on the desire to see his father again. Han cares not for his son's cynicism and takes a confident step forward, reaching out a hand. Ren doesn't react, expecting nothing but cold wind and rain to touch his face. But it is suddenly warm under the soft and careful touch of Han Solo. How is this possible? Tears well in Ren's eyes.

"You were right." He admits quietly. "Snoke used me. I was weak, and foolish. I'm nothing like you."

Ren doesn't know if he is talking to himself or not, but he is beyond caring. There are no crashing waves of aggression and pain inside him any longer, just a quiet sadness. And these words need their escape. He stares reproachfully into his father's familiar dark eyes. He has so much he wants to express, but the weight paralyzes him. As always, Han knows just what to say.

"Good," he mutters triumphantly. "Don't be like me. Be like you. Leave this place, come home."

"I c-can't," Ren stammers, barely able to hold the tears. "It's too late."

"We miss you. Your mother is waiting for you."

At the mention of Leia, Ren closes his eyes tight, his lip trembling. He can still feel the warmth of his father's hand.

"Kylo Ren is _dead_. You know it's true."

Now the tears come. It can't be that easy, can it?

"My son is alive."

Ren lets out a great, rasping gasp and opens his eyes. Han looks both wiser and more youthful than he had ever been. This truly must be all of Ren's memories of his father wrapped into one. For a moment, Ren just enjoys being held. He manages a nod. Han is right. He is alive. But what comes next threatens that. The weight on his shoulders groans, and fear spikes his stomach. He cannot do this alone. The next word is so hard, so raw and sharp, Ren fears it might cut his throat as he dares to say it.

"Dad..."

But something must come before that, before he asks for Han's help. He had been so lost, so in pain, so full of despair the last time they had stood so close. Looking back at the Kylo Ren who appeared before Han on Starkiller Base was painful, like looking at a tortured child, twisted and perverted into something cruel.

But the truth remains: Kylo Ren murdered Han Solo.

How can he possibly approach this, voice his sorrow? His despair? His need to give everything to Snoke, to the Dark-Side, because if he didn't, what was this act for? Deep down, he had _needed_ Han's death by his hand to mean something. And not Rey, not Leia, not anyone else can truly change that. But it hadn't meant anything. If he could ask forgiveness, for an act that had cut his very soul in two, then nothing is impossible. But at this final hurdle, at the edge - Ren's strength fails. He mouths the words uselessly, gasping for air. But he isn't alone.

Han retracts his hand and shakes his head knowingly. There is no need to voice it, to ask for forgiveness. It is done.

Ren can scarcely believe it. He has dreamed of this moment, of moving past this single terrible act in his life. And without even a struggle his wish has been granted. The weight upon his shoulders crumbles, until his body feels the lightest it's felt in nearly ten years. He straightens up. The forgiveness and love of his father makes him feel more powerful than the Dark-Side ever has, and ever will. What can he do with such power?

"I know what I have to do, but I don't know if I have the strength to do it."

And Han gives him the answer, moving his hands towards the cracked and melted helmet still gripped tightly in Ren's naked hand.

"That mask." Hans says, softly. "You don't need it."

Ren looks down at the wretched totem now held in both his and Han's fingers. It isn't just the legacy of Vader he sees, it is the piercing eyes of Snoke, the twisting sneer of Hux, the beast-like growl of Ushar, the poisonous words of Ap'lek, the hunting bloodlust of Vicrul. But worst of all, it is the face behind which he'd hidden for so long, the helmet he'd smashed but followed him, again and again, refusing to be banished. But his thoughts are interrupted by his father's voice, calling his name over the wind.

And he embraces it.

The mask whistles through the air as Ben throws it with all his might into the ravine below. The sunken eyes and twisted teeth of Vader sail through the air and disappear into the gloom below. Gone.

Ben Solo's tears mix with rain as he gasps for air, as though breaking the surface of the ocean, finally, after too long. He feels weightless. So much has happened so quickly. He has only one responsibility now; go to Rey. Do as his father has said; go _home._ He begins to cross the bridge but hesitates. A son longing to turn and gaze upon his father once more, but the truth settles in again. What he has seen is just a memory, and this fills him with hope. He can look upon them whenever he likes, and there will be time for that later.

Right now, he has done so much to overcome the Dark-Side. He has confronted Snoke using her words. He has been there for her, as she was for him. He has abandoned his spiteful ambitions and is ready to embrace something new. And the only thing stopping him, the only shard of Kylo Ren left in the world, are the pieces that live in the crude hearts of the Knights of Ren. That is Kylo Ren's legacy, of the Jedi killer, and Ben Solo will suffer their existence no longer. Han Solo's son turns towards the wretched silhouette of the _Night Buzzard_ , ready for the fight of his life.

Ready to die.

* * *

Leia clasps the golden dice to her heart as it beats ceaselessly. Her perception of the Force is undisciplined but strong, and she feels a presence in the everpresent tapestry of life force that brings tears to her eyes. Her son. She can feel her son. Leia steadies herself on a stone block, unnoticed by others in the room.

"Here it is!"

Rose holds the dusty book before her as she runs a finger over a jagged looking symbol. The crystals around them pulse as another shield of magnetism materialises around the ancient octahedron temple, piercing the rock and gravel of the mountain that it has sat in for over a thousand generations. Great shards of the mountain fall away as the temple hums with energy. Within the hangar, Resistance pilots and soldiers watch in amazement as the opening they had been using as an entrance now seal them in. The twelve Stormtrooper recruits stare on in more than amazement, as this is quite literally their first day in the Resistance, and reviving ancient technology was beyond their expectations.

Back in the temple control room, Rose and Finn exchange shouts of excitement.

"Shields are up, General!"

Poe and Lando are examining the large viewport that they all peer through, the Tyjimi sun hiding behind a thick layer of evening cloud. In the interim they have been joined by several technicians, droids, and Chewbacca. The room teams with mutterings as the handful of pilots try to make sense of the ancient temple and it's capabilities. Commander Connix, however, has noticed something of greater importance.

"General, are you ok?"

Leia steadies herself, looking up into the bright and concerned face of the young Resistance officer. Connix is surprised to see Leia beaming back at her.

"More than that Commander, don't worry about me." Leia smiles to herself, positively brimming with optimism. "I've just got a good feeling, that's all."

"Rose, get us airborne," commands Poe, a hint of awe still staining his orders. "Can anyone tell me if this thing can _really_ jump to lightspeed?"

Finn clears his throat. "It's complex, General. The temple has the capabilities for what we assume is hyperspace travel, but it has no traditional hyperdrive." His tone is formal and drained of its usual warmth. "We won't know until we try."

"Thanks Commander," responds Poe curtly, his guilt multiplying. "Rose, will they be able to track us?"

Rose is in the midst of translating several glowing characters for a gaggle of volunteer pilots when she looks up.

"I don't think so. They tracked us through reading our hyperdrive computers, but this temple doesn't run like a traditional flagship." Her face brightens with determination. "I don't think they'll be able to follow us, Poe."

"That's fantastic!" Exclaims Poe. "Right, all hands, let's get this flying fortress the hell out of here!"

"I've input our destination," replies Jaytu. She is standing at the centre of the stone astrolabe, and has touched a crystal on the ring above her, marking a system that promises shelter from the Final Order. Poe acknowledges this from his elevated position near the back of the room.

"How long til we're at full power?"

"The temple appears to be 'waking up', though it's taking it's time."

As she replies, Rose gazes out the window. The horizon line has dropped, as the temple starts to rise out of its mountain nest. Tree roots and vines creak in protest as the great stone structure levitates into the air. Sections of rock fall into the hole left behind by the submerged half of the temple, and the rumble of shifting earth sends birds screeching from the pine forests. Layers of dirt and snow fall away from both upper and lower pyramids, and carved symbols can be seen amongst the plates of stone. The deep engravings glow the same yellow-green as the crystals contained inside. Slowly but surely, the ancient temple hovers towards the peak of the mountain.

" _Incredible,"_ mutters Poe to himself. But his ease is short-lived.

"General!" cries an officer below him. "A ship just dropped out of hyperspace a few parsecs away!"

Poe squints at the offending officer, adrenaline already pumping. "Is it them?"

The officer examines her stone workstation, and the moving pattern before her. The crystals and stone create a perfect approximation of space surrounding them, depicting the temple itself and the mountain it now rises out of. High above, the image takes the form of a triangular flagship.

"...It's a Star Destroyer, General."

A sudden hush falls over the room at these words. Finn, Jaytu and Rose look up into the face of their leader. Poe is unable to hide his frustration.

" _Damn."_

High above them, Grand Admiral Hux stands on the bridge of the _Fianlizer_ , looking out gleefully onto the spiked surface of Tyjimi. Though perfectly still, Hux is giddy with excitement, like a child before a stack of presents. The crushing of the Resistance is at hand. Far below him, General Poe Dameron won't give up that easily.

"All squadrons! I want every pilot we have ready! It won't be long until that Star Destroyer is onto us. Every single starfighter will be fueled and armed for attack! Go!"

His orders reverberate around the room and into his commlink, and the response is immediate. Consulting pilots hand over the stations to officers in the control room and depart, descending the stairs and corridors towards the hangar they currently call home. As Poe rushes to join them, he corners Rose.

"You're in charge now, Commander. Once the hyperdrive is ready, get us up and away."

Rose's face burns red. "Poe, I don't think-"

"I trust no one else with this," says Poe, firmly. "You have the room, Rose."

Rose clasps the worn _Aionomica_ book to her chest as her heart sings. As Poe departs for the hangar, she turns and practically squeals at Finn. He embraces her, triumphant.

"Looks like you'll be the first to bring a flying castle to a dogfight!"

Rose's laugh is half excitement and half nerves. "I guess it is!"

"I'm glad it's not me," winks Finn, before his expression turns to one of seriousness. "Rose, I need to ask a favour."

"What?"

Down in the hangar, the usual scramble for readiness is in full swing. Cockpits are filled, droids wheel between ships, technicians handle fuel pumps and a siren whirs around the great stone hangar. Poe arrives on the scene and fights his way towards the U-Wing, itching to get his hands behind the controls, but a hand stops him. He turns, ready to demote anyone that stops him unnecessary, and almost chokes when Finn glares back at him.

"Finn! I-"

Poe becomes flustered, tangled in the precariousness of their situation, but Finn isn't so wayward.

"General, don't send the fleet out yet. This is our chance to get the location for Othkore. Give me some time and I'll get it."

Poe is genuinely stunned by what Finn is proposing. Though the clock is ticking on halting the Final Order's fleet on Othkore, now is hardly the time. What was he thinking?

"Finn, you can't seriously belie-"

"I understand what you're doing is best for the Resistance Poe but this is what's best for everyone. I know we don't have the forces to fight them head on but I _believe_ an uprising can cripple them, and I'm willing to bet on that hope."

Poe searches Finn's face for the reason for such assuredness, and Finn steps aside dramatically to reveal it. Jaytu and the group of ex-Stormtroopers he'd recruited stand shoulder to shoulder, all looking as determined as he is. Poe is quite taken aback, but worry still drives him.

"What do you mean you'll get Othkore's location? _How_ , Finn?"

Finn indicates to the trooper transport and crates of scarlet Stormtrooper armour they'd stolen from the prison hours ago.

"That Star Destroyer is the _Finalizer_. I grew up there, I know it like the back of my hand. We'll sneak onto the ship and extract the coordinates for Othkore from the hyperdrive computer. Me, Jaytu, and our team." Finn puffs his chest out with pride. "I trust them Poe, they're proof the uprising can work."

"We can do it General," adds Jaytu faithfully. But Poe has heard enough.

"Finn," he starts uncomfortably. "I admire your courage and the loyalty these recruits hold for you, but..."

He stares into Finn's handsome face and can't stop his own fear leaking into his words.

"It's too dangerous," he says with forced finality. "It's too risky."

But Finn isn't afraid. He retrieves a circular device with a silver key from within the jacket Poe had given him, and holds it up. Poe recognizes it.

"Rose's jammer?"

Finn nods. "They won't be able to detect us with this. We'll be in and out before they know it."

Poe shakes his head at the floor, refusing to even give this plan the attention it deserves. He doesn't trust these day-old recruits, and he certainly doesn't trust Finn's calm approach to a dangerous mission. Unluckily for Poe, Finn has more support than he'd bargained for.

"Commander Finn!"

Leia pushes past Poe and rounds on Finn, who reacts as though he's been caught doing something illegal.

"Err, yes, General?" He replies, straightening up.

"I'm bestowing upon you the rank of _Colonel_. You now have the authority to undertake this mission as you see fit, and I hope you and _Lieutenant_ Jaytu will see it through by any means necessary. If the Resistance is to survive, we _need_ that intel."

Jaytu, Poe, and the recruits stare at Leia. Finn could have kissed her. "Yes ma'am!" He responds with vigor.

"Leia you can't-" begins Poe, but Leia has heard enough too.

"As for you, I am officially relinquishing all power to you, Poe Dameron. You are the master of this Resistance now, it's future lies with you. With _both_ of you."

Leia grips both Finn and Poe by the shoulders and pulls them in close.

"Finn's right. These recruits deserve a chance to prove themselves, to prove that freedom is worth fighting for. I entrust that future to you both."

Leia's stare penetrates Poe's dark expression, knowing why he is so hesitant to let Finn go. Poe gulps, knowing that he is cornered. He turns on Finn and his team.

"Alright, alright!" He says with scornful authority. "You get in and you get out. We've got less than twenty minutes, I want those coordinates in my hands and-" he pokes a stiff finger into Finn's chest, staring round at the newbies. "-I want _Colonel_ Finn back by my side, unscathed. Am I clear?"

Jaytu and the recruits stand to attention, salute, and speak in unison.

"Yes, General!"

Poe nods curtly. "Then go, and may the Force be with you!"

They don't need telling twice. All thirteen of them make their way swiftly to the trooper transport and don their scarlet disguises. Finn moves to join them but Poe grasps his shoulder a little too tight. Finn looks back in confusion.

"What?"

Poe's face is set like a brick against what he is about to say. "Finn, about what happened to Slip." Poe can't look Finn in the eye, and stares at the floor in shame. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

Finn takes in Poe's words for a second then dons a calm smile. He tips Poe's chin up and pulls him into a full hug. Poe is stunned to be forgiven so easily.

"But-"

"It's not your fault. The Final Order put him out there, and they attacked you too. They are guilty, not you."

They break apart. Finn pulls the leather jacket from his shoulders and thrusts it into Poe's chest. "Hold onto this for me whilst I strike one back at them. For me, you, and Slip."

Poe is so in awe of Finn's emotional maturity he simply nods. Finn runs to join his fellow ex-Stormtroopers, and Poe swallows his tears in service of the mission. He shakes himself into the temperament of a leader.

"All squadrons, change of plans! We'll be sending a single infiltration ship to extract vital intel, and every wing will be deployed in defence of this team at my command. I want all pilots ready to punch it at a moment's notice!"

He recites this change in orders through his comms and out loud as he circles the garden of starships before him, with shouts of ' _Yes General'_ greeting him. He passes the _Millennium Falcon,_ where R2 and 3PO wait patiently at the bottom of the docking ramp, and he rounds on them.

"Guys! That means you too! Get the _Falcon_ ready!"

R2 beeps angrily at Poe in protest and 3PO rings his hands.

"I must apologize General Dameron, but it appears-"

"This ship is needed for another mission."

Poe turns to lay eyes on Lando, who'd managed to find time to change into a handsome shirt and coat despite his injuries. He is flanked by the tall and sharp toothed twins Lo and Le, and looks ready to fight. Poe stands his ground.

"What mission?" He asks accusingly.

"Family matter," responds Lando, his tone strangely grave. "Lo and Le have agreed to fly the _Lady Luck_ with your fleet, as our loyalty remains with Finn. But General, but we need your fastest ship."

Leia and Chewie appear behind Lando. Leia takes Poe's hands. Poe almost jerks backwards at the sudden intimacy.

"Please, Poe." Leia whispers so only Poe can hear.

Poe realises with a pang of urgency that he doesn't gaze into the eyes of Leia Organa, war-hero, General, matriarch of the Resistance. He sees Leia Organa, _mother_. Poe squeezes her hands and flashes a dashing grin.

"Anything you need, Leia."

* * *

Finn stands before his team in the stomach of the trooper transport. His handsome shirt and trousers are tucked away beneath a body glove, as Finn is wearing armour for the first time since discarding his own in the Jakku desert, over a year ago. It feels unnatural.

"This feel weird to you too?" Finn asks Jaytu.

Finn is holding his helmet by his side, but Jaytu holds hers before her face. She tears away from it after a moment to answer Finn.

"Honestly? I'll be fine. I'm more excited to get back at them."

"That goes for us too, Finn!"

The newly appointed Colonel realises a number of his recruits are watching him, tentatively.

"We get to be part of the Resistance for real."

"Yeah let's show them!"

Several others speak up in optimistic agreement and Finn's heart blazes with righteous fire.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" He shouts over the noise. "Let's go take from them what they took from us!"

They match his shout, assembling into their seats. Finn makes his way to the back and approaches the vertical cockpit. He places the helmet over his head and feels a wave of cold nostalgia, seeking a reprieve from the anxious feeling by activating his comm.

"Rose? How we doin'?"

"I take back everything I ever said about you being a coward!" She responds back. Finn laughs.

"I hope you're right."

"You've got about sixteen minutes. Have you set the jammer to hide you from Final Order frequencies?"

Finn turns the silver key clockwise on the handmade circular device now clipped to his belt, which activates with a _PING!_

"Check."

Finn swings the yoke of the transport loose and blazes the engines to life. The rectangular ship rises into the air and soars through the hangar, over the tops of pilots and technicians scrambling over their ships. Out of the corner of his eye, Finn could have sworn there is a space where the _Falcon_ must be. All other thoughts escape him as he maneuvers the ship through the wide window of the hangar, passing the magnetic shield, and out into the snowy winds of Tyjimi. Finn can feel the howl of the evening air as it pounds the ship with his team inside, but he keeps a steady course, his piloting skills having improved over his time in the Resistance. He wonders how many colonels have crashed on their first mission when Rose interrupts him.

"Alright the jammer should slice you out of the Final Order's scopes and scans once you get close. Should make it easier to get in and out. Careful you don't reverse it!"

They both laugh at the thought of shouting profanities into Hux's personal comm. Finn pilots the transport away from the mountain where the ancient temple slowly hovers against, charging its energy. He picks out the _Finalizer_ hanging in the sky high above _Calrim City_ , and approaches from underneath. Several TIE Daggers circle the flagship in pairs, but thanks to Rose's jammer, pay him no mind. He and his team are invisible to them.

"Fifteen minutes, Finn."

Apprehension is starting to tinge Rose's words, even though it is Finn who is on a dangerous mission behind enemy lines.

"I'll be back before you know it, alright?" Finn promises.

A few seconds pass before she responds. "Alright. Good luck!"

With such little time, Finn adjusts his plan of action. Instead of entering the _Finalizer_ via the main, port, or starboard hangars, he maneuvers the ship to approach underneath the Star Destroyers engines. He keeps a steady pace as he rounds the main engine nozzles, and tries not to think about how hot they burn. Keeping low to not be seen, Finn steers the ship into a small entranceway used for maintenance and sanitation supply drops. If memory serves, landing inside puts them two floors above the hyperdrive generator, where they can gain access to the hyperdrive navigation computer. The transport enters the small hangar, Finn taking care not to alert any officers on the reverse of the command bridge above them. The jammer seems to be working, for now.

Once inside, Finn tucks the ship away behind a large cylindrical device he assumes is an acceleration compensator. The room is large enough that they haven't been noticed by the few maintenance workers gathered at the end. Thanking the stars for his good fortune, Finn descends from the vertical cockpit and gazes upon his team. They all have their helmets and blasters ready, and an eerie sense of dread confronts him at the sight of faceless minions. There is no time for fear now. He takes off his helmet.

"Alright," he begins calmly, as though this is a simple supply run. "We get to the hyperdrive nav computer, extract the coordinates for Othkore, and get out. Jaytu, you're in charge of extraction. If we come across any patrols, let me do the talking. It's my job to get you in and out unscathed, understood?"

"Yes, Colonel!" Say thirteen voices in unison.

A passerby may have missed it, but Finn is bolstered by the loose way each salute him. They all have their own personal way of showing respect, far removed from the conformity driven conditioning of the Final Order. Finn beams at them all, hope overflowing in his heart.

"Right, let's go!"

He places his helmet over his head and makes his way to the front of the ship, activating the exit ramp. Descending in pairs, the team of forteen jog in calm and ordered unison, barely making a sound on the sleek floor of the maintenance hangar. Their conditioning at the hands of the Final Order will take years to unlearn, but for now, it's as precious as the camouflage of their scarlet armour.

Many levels above Finn's team, Grand Admiral Hux is ignorant of the fact a famous traitor walks the halls of his ship once more. Hux is more concerned with the obvious incompetence of his sensor towers, as they have yet to discover the Resistance.

"Well? Where are they?" He mutters, impatience bleeding through each syllable.

A young officer stands to attention next to him, datapad in hand.

"There's so much wildlife on the surface it's hard to pinpoint the Resistance from mere heat signatures, Grand Admiral."

"Have you located the _Talon?_ "

"We've tracked it to just north of us, Grand Admiral, but no sign of the Knights of Ren who piloted it here."

Hux strokes his chin with a gloved hand, attempting to calm his own impatience. He hadn't achieved so much against such foes by being brash.

"The Resistance aren't in the city below us, they must be hiding elsewhere." He points at one of his main control officers. "Bring her around, take us to the sight of the _Talon's_ landing."

"Right away, Grand Admiral!"

The _Finalizer_ slices a cloud in two as it turns to point directly at a far mountain, behind which hovers the ancient temple and the Resistance. It's engines blast as it begins its approach.

* * *

Rey summons all the strength she has. Even with the fate of the galaxy hanging in the balance, this truth is no easier to face than it was when she lived alone on Jakku. She perseveres anyway.

Her mind opens and she can see the desert, many years ago. The cloth windows of Niima Outpost bristle in the wind. The midday heat is unbearable. Rey's tiny body is clad in nothing but a frayed tunic, shorts, and leather cord around her middle. Her feet are bare against the hot sand, her lips are chapped, and her hair tied uncomfortably in three messy buns. She waits alone. Three figures stand huddled beside a rusted silver starship just out of earshot. One of them is large, his skin blistered and his narrow eyes sharp and unforgiving. Rey will come to know him as Unkar Plutt, the master of this outpost. Young Rey knows very little, but she does understand that nobody leaves the outpost without Unkar Plutt knowing about it. She wonders where they are going. Then these thoughts overwhelm her, along with the hot air and the sting of sand on her toes. She begins to wail, great tears stinging her cheeks. She wants her mother. One of the figures turns and approaches her, and young Rey gets her wish.

"That's enough, that's enough!" Comes her mother's panicked voice.

Rey blinks through her tears and the bright sun to look at the woman standing over her. She is heavily freckled from years in the Jakku sun, covering her head with a light shawl. Her pale face is very thin, her sharp cheeks making her appear gaunt. She wears a scavengers wrap, belts and shoes made from odds and rags. She has wide and staring pale eyes, angrily bloodshot, which jitter over Rey. But worst of all is the strange smell. It is sharp and sweet, but lingers on her mother's breath like a bad omen. Despite all this, Rey reaches forward, seeking shade from the sun in her mother's arms. But her mother's hands held her in place, tight and unforgiving. The sun burns and her feet hurt and she wants her mommy and she wails even louder.

Behind her mother, Unkar Plutt and her father watch closely. Her father's hair is a mess of sandy blonde, great bags hanging under bloodshot eyes. He hisses words young Rey doesn't recognise, his eyes piercing into hers. She only cries harder. Suddenly, her mother's fingers dig into her shoulders. Rey squirms but her mother shakes her violently.

"Stop it! Stop it you little brat!"

The hiss may have well come from a snake, and succeeds as if it had. Rey stops her crying, fearing firmer punishment. Her cries become large hiccups, like those of a captured frog. Her mother's bloodshot eyes are wide and desperate.

"You have to wait here. We are going away, but you have to wait."

Some of these words are slurred which doesn't help Rey's understanding. The confusion summons tears once again.

"You are going where?" Rey's voice is high, strained, and full of childish worry. Then realisation dawns further.

"I have to wait with... _no you_?"

Rey begins to wail again, straining against her mother's hands, desperate to be held, to be kept, to be looked after. More unknown curses are heard from her father as Rey grabs at her mother with tiny hands. Her mother's pale bloodshot eyes dart around, desperate for a cure to her child's tantrum. Holding Rey at arm's length by the scruff of her neck, her mother pulls something from her bag and pushes it into Rey's chest. Rey stops struggling and examines what she's been given. It is a handmade faceless doll. Her mother had made it from scrap fabric found in an abandoned X-Wing not a year earlier, but failed to sell it. Rey owns nothing apart from the clothes she wears, so this distracts her plenty from her woes. Rey's cries become low moans as she loses herself in the orange and white clothing of the doll. Mind racing fast, her mother holds her still and lowers her voice.

"We are going away for a while but we come back, we come back for you."

The panic is strangely absent from her voice as she looks into her daughter's eyes. Young Rey seems unconvinced and tears well up in her eyes again. Her mother drowns out the sound of crying with another lie.

"You be good, count the days, keep this close by. We come back. Promise."

Her mother presses the doll into her tiny chest. Rey's lips tremble but her mother shakes her head.

"You be good, we come back. _Promise_." The lie is firm this time.

Rey takes two huge gulps, then nods. Her mother immediately turns and hurries off to join her father. They both indicate to Rey and speak intensely with Unkar Plutt. Young Rey assumes they're arguing, but they're haggling. For the first time, a cold sadness emerges deep inside young Rey, and the rumbling cries come again. Unkar Plutt places several silver chips into her father's hands. The sadness grows worse as her mother and father board the ship without a backwards glance, but the doll reminds her.

_Be good. They come back._

She hugs it tight and the sobs subside. As the ship takes flight, young Rey swallows the great lump in her throat. Though she is alone for now, it won't be long. Not long until they come back for her. Not long at all.

But Rey will never see them again.

Back in the temple atrium, the same girl gasps for breath. She holds her hands to her chest, crouched on the floor, hugging a phantom of the doll she'd been given all those years ago. Silent tears roll down her face as realisation sweeps over her finally. The smell of drink on her mother's breath. The coins exchanged for a child. The significance of the doll even after she'd forgotten where it came from., and what it meant. The lie she'd believed for so long. As a child, her mother's word was law. But as an adult, Rey can see the lie as plainly as the smokey body of the Oracle looming above her. In a sign of respect or meditation, the Oracle has bowed her head and crossed all her fingers as Rey delves into her memory. The tears keep coming, and Rey feels a strange numbness. It is less a realisation than a confirmation of what she already knew. Despite this, she feels so dreadfully, horrifically alone.

But Rey is tired of being defined by loneliness. Tired of letting it rule her every waking moment. If she'd had the doll in her hand she'd have thrown it away from her. She doesn't need it, doesn't want it. She'd learnt so much and experienced such friendship, such companionship, such joy since _That Day_. And it is over now, it is done. And she made a promise to Ben. And, unlike her mother, her promises mean something.

With a great effort, Rey gets to her feet. The dark cloak Ben had put about her shoulders falls to the floor. She holds her head high and looks directly into the Oracle's milky white eyes.

"I've given what you asked for."

Rey's voice is strained, but her demand cannot be mistaken. The Oracle lifts her head and nods, acknowledging her words. The glint of tears hint at the edge of her huge eyes.

" _Indeed you have, and not an effortless task. Think well on your question, then proceed to ask."_

Rey takes a step forward, affixing the great spectre with a determined gaze.

"How do I stop the prophecy?"

The great creature places all three pairs of hands together, her eyes seem to bulge as she tips her head back. Her mouth twitches as she peers presumably into the future, then she unfurls her hands and stares blankly down at Rey.

" _The prophecy I have foretold is already in action. You have played your part in this legendary interaction."_

" _You stand in the temple with a molten heart, through the Force was it willed. And here, above Othkore, is where the prophecy will be fulfilled."_

A cold shard pierces Rey's heart as these words take root. But the Oracle isn't finished, leaving nothing to be inferred about Rey's question.

" _No action you take will halt the coming of the Heir to Victory. However, your role in this prophecy is no mystery."_

" _For in your convictions you possess the key. Remember, it is not I that succeeds, it is we."_

Despair breaks across Rey. How? How can there be no way to stop the Knights of Ren? And what does the Oracle mean she possesses 'the key'? If she can't stop it, what can she do?! Is she destined to lose? Destined to die? Rey grips her head as though it might explode, an anguished cry escapes her throat. She wipes her tears away and glares at the Oracle.

"No. There must be some way to stop it! You must have seen-"

But the Oracle shakes her large head, holding all her hands palm up as if to shrug.

" _The path is clear, my prophecy is true. The war will be decided by a chosen few."_

" _With bonds sealed in blood and a cracked crystal held by two, in the chest of this statue will they present it into."_

Two of her hands indicate to the hole in the statue from which the smoke still billows. Rey's frustration and anguish multiply by the second, but the Oracle isn't finished.

" _In hands bonded by blood the crystal will become whole, summon me by name and you will achieve your goal."_

" _Carry out these feats and adhere to this sequence strictly, and I shall bestow upon you the title of_ _ **Heir to Victory.**_ "

" _These victors will channel the Force unlike any other, exerting wisdom, power, and control in perfect harmony together."_

She is just repeating the prophecy now and Rey has nothing more to say, displaying her contempt plainly on her face. This is what she'd gone through all that for? _Nothing?_ If the Oracle is offended she doesn't show it. Rey glares at her, utterly dumbfounded. She feels drained, anguished, and lost. She had made Ben a promise, the Resistance a promise, and she'd confronted her own secrets to do so. And now she has nothing.

No matter her actions, she will not stop the prophecy.

* * *

Finn's memory serves him well. Leading his team down two seperate turbolifts and a long corridor, they arrive at a set of double doors that conceals the _Finalizer's_ large hyperdrive computer behind them. Finn signals for his team to hold as he approaches the door controls. They stand to attention and he opens the double doors.

Inside the large room, several petty officers sit at terminals, gliding their fingers over data screens and controls. A lieutenant walks amongst them, more for authority sake than much else. Finn approaches and nods to the lieutenant, indicating to his squad.

"Standard patrol, sir," he voices in his best impression of his old self.

The lieutenant simply waves him away, not even bothering with such a lowly trooper. Finn grins from beneath his helmet. The team marches in their pairs around the perimeter of the room as they slowly disappear from view behind one of the terminals. Once Finn is sure they are out of earshot, he halts them and removes his helmet.

"Alright," he whispers. "Jaytu, we've got about two minutes before that lieutenant gets suspicious. Get to work."

Jaytu removes her helmet and pulls a datapad from her belt, connecting it and the terminal via a thin wire. Finn points at the pair of troopers bringing up the rear, straining to remember their names.

"You two, Huf and Leven. Cover us from either side. Anyone gets curious, I want to know about it."

"Yes Colonel," comes their responses, mechanical sounding through the helmet comms. Finn is getting really comfortable with 'Colonel' now. He wonders what Colonel Terez will think about this when he breaks the news.

"I've got it Finn!" Says Jaytu in hushed excitement. "-501.71, -337.84, 006.68."

Finn and Jaytu both examine the datapad she holds. On the reverse of the large terminal, a petty officer notices her screen glitch. Not eager to upset the lieutenant watching over her, she simply tapes the side of the console hopefully. The glitch ceases and she carries on typing. On the other side of her terminal, Jaytu's datapad loads and shows a perspective map of Othkore, including the Reconditioning Division, industrial shipyard, and the intimidating looking Final Order Fortress.

"Woah," mutters Finn. "Is that a full schematic?"

Jaytu nods and Finn could have danced on the spot. "Alright, we've got more than we need, let's get out of here!"

They replace their helmets and Finn leads them to circle around the room, acting out patrol marching. The lieutenant ignores them as they exit the room and head back down the corridor. Huf and Leven are a little over excited as they bring up the rear, and step out of formation as they hurry along the corridor. Finn notices and signals them back into formation, but this hinders his preparation for their next obstacle.

"Halt, trooper."

The team comes to a stop before the turbolift doors as a sallow faced officer looks them up and down.

Finn immediately stops and halts his team with a signal. They all stand stone still as Finn straightens up.

"Yes, sir."

The officer eyes him carefully. "What is your purpose on this level?"

"Security patrol, sir." Finn thanks the Force his taught mannerisms are still intact.

The officer's sharp eyes snap from Finn to Huf at the back of their seven pairs, whose foot is slightly out of line. To Finn's horror, he pushes the alarm button on the turbolift. A siren sounds in the distance, and the officer smirks at Finn.

"You're either traitors or the worst squad I've ever-"

His sentence remains unfinished as Finn bullseyes his chest with a stun blast. The officer's body goes limp as his legs collapse from under him but Finn catches him in one arm. Beckoning to his team, they scurry across the corridor to hide in an off maintenance room to their right. Finn drops the offending officer to the ground unceremoniously and removes his helmet. Huf takes off his helmet, his dark eyes wide with terror.

"Colonel, I'm sorry, I wasn't-"

But Finn holds up a hand to silence him. "This isn't on you, it's on me Huf."

All fourteen of them watch the sealed turbolift from the open door. Jaytu looks to Finn.

"What are we going to do now?"

But Finn is five steps ahead. That turbolift is now useless and security will be here within sixty seconds. The next lift down the corridor is further than that. They are trapped.

"We can't get back that way, but there's another turbolift down there," Finn points down the corridor to his right. "Are you ready to earn your title, _Lieutenant?_ "

Jaytu's eyes widen. "What do you mean?"

Finn taps the datapad on her belt. "This is the mission, you need to get this and the team out of her. It's my job to make that happen, I'll create a distraction."

The surrounding recruits shake their heads in protest, and Jaytu joins them. "You can't!" She hisses at him. "You're _the_ Finn, they'll-"

She dares not mention the word, for it is worse than execution. Finn knows that Hux will go mad to capture him, and that's just what he is counting on. He places both hands on Jaytu's shoulders.

"I know," he replies, softly. "But only the return of FN-2187 is going to be big enough bait. I'm going to take the jammer with me to force them to chase me. They won't look twice at you all. Use the commotion to escape, get this intel back to Poe, you got it?"

Jaytu sniffs. "Y-yes Colonel."

Finn matches her miserable expression with his trademark smile. "Trust me, this is the right thing to do. Now _GO!"_

Jaytu replaces her helmet and leads the team out of the maintenance room, marching swiftly to the right. As they disappear into the gloom, Finn jogs in the opposite direction and holds the circular jammer before him. He twists the silver key on the side counter-clockwise, reversing the polarity. The jammer slices into the broadcast centre of the _Finalizer_ itself, and every crew member onboard experiences a brief screech of feedback. Up on the bridge, Hux's patience is reaching its limits.

"What the _hell_ was that?" He demands, but a familiar voice answered him, broadcast from all comms aboard the bridge.

"Y'know Hux, you've done a pretty pathetic job of picking up Phasma's slack haven't you?"

Finn's words reverberate inside every Stormtrooper helmet, every TIE cockpit, every control tower, every hangar, and every commlink as he speaks into the jammer. Hux's bloodshot eyes widen as he realises who is addressing him. He begins to shout orders but Finn's voice is too loud.

"Yeah, that's right, it's _the_ Finn. You all thought I was dead, so, surprise! I'm back, and I'm coming for you next _Hux!"_

"-VRY PATROL TO SCOUR THIS SHIP ON EVERY DECK UNTIL YOU FIND F-N-2-1-8-7!"

As Finn pauses to hide from an oncoming security detail, Hux is able to finish his orders in the silence that follows. What little patience Hux had left has snapped as spit flies from his mouth. Though his pressed uniform says differently, he breathes as if he'd been possessed by a rabid mongrel. The petty officers surrounding him are paralyzed by fear. This only makes Hux angrier.

"STOP STANDING THERE! FIND THIS BROADCAST LOCATION!"

"But G-Grand Admiral," sputters a cowering officer to his right. "It's being sliced directly into our comm towers, it's broadcasting everywhere!"

Hux's eyes bulge even more as his lips quiver at this notion. "What?" He hisses. "E-everyw-?"

But he is cut off yet again by the sound of Finn's voice from every direction.

"I took out Phasma because she tried to push us down, and you're just more of the same aren't you, _Armitage?"_

Finn speaks Hux's forename to push him even more. He is gaining ground as he jogs down a familiar corridor several floors beneath the command bridge now. Security droids and troopers pass him without checking, his disguise still working. He should have bought his team enough time by now but he has to be sure, they have only minutes before the temple jumps to lightspeed. He turns down a side corridor and speaks through his helmet comm, lucky that it masked his face. He enjoyed expressing his frustrations at Hux so much, he grins from ear to ear.

"Your time is up, Hux. We're not going to do your dirty work anymore."

Though Finn assumes he has been talking directly into only the _Finalizer's_ comms, the reality is much worse for Hux. The jammer is slicing directly into the comms tower of the Star Destroyer itself, and broadcasting this message across _every_ friendly comm network. Final Order outposts across the stars heard the feedback, and are now being broadcast this message by Finn. Scout Troopers pause to listen to their helmets on Canto Bight. A patrol of TIE Daggers glide over the aerial metropolis of Cloud City, listening intently to the mockery of their Grand Admiral. In Corsucant's undercity, a company of Stormtroopers hear Finn's words, whilst the officer leading them grows fearful.

Finn, ignorant of his audience of thousands, presses on. The outrage which he'd struggled with his entire life verbalises perfectly, as though in this moment, he finally understands what he feels and what he wants to say.

"And not just you, Hux, all your snot-nosed little officer sidekicks. You're _done_. We scrub your floors, fight your battles, build your cities, win your wars, we play by your rules and you treat us like nothing. You exchange our lives like you do credits. No more. I refuse. I am not my number. _**WE ARE NOT NUMBERS!**_ "

Across the stars, Stormtroopers look at their officers with new eyes. Some ignore the hesitation in their troopers, some threaten Reconditioning, and some are even more brash. But Finn's words drive a wedge in the hierarchy of power between pawns of war and their masters. Even aboard the _Finalizer,_ Stormtroopers look to one another in confusion, the same outrage Finn feels strangely familiar. Was it always there? Is this a trick by their dreaded enemy? Standing at her post, the flametrooper TN-2729 listens intently to Finn's words. The same fire burns in her heart, and now it has been put into words. She asks herself; is she just a number?

This is the single greatest threat to Hux's army, but the Grand Admiral is not in his right mind. He is beside himself with irrational rage. A tinge of red starts to stain his temple and his lips turn a ghostly white as he stares out the viewport of the _Finalizer_ , powerless.

"If FN-2187 is not captured in the next five minutes, every single trooper aboard this bridge will be sent to Reconditioning." He manages to keep his rage contained but it rumbles in every word he speaks.

"Find him, and do it _NOW!"_


	9. Part II - The Sacrifice

"NOOOOOO!"

Rey's voice fills the hall of the atrium. She cannot accept it. Not after all that she's faced, all that she'd endured, for the future to fall into darkness again. To be tossed aside by the Knights of Ren. To fail those she'd promised to help. To never see Ben again. She refused.

"There must be something, anything I can do!" She gazes at the Oracle in desperation, needing an answer to materialise. " _Please, tell me!"_

But the Oracle gazes back without an ounce of empathy, as though Rey asks her for things she already possesses.

" _We have exchanged nothing but truth, you must look and see. The prophecy will be fulfilled, but you hold the key."_

But Rey has heard enough from this overbearing, apathetic creature. She pulls her lightsaber from her belt and ignites the yellow-green blade, pointing it up at the Oracle's semi-circular face. The hopelessness of her situation, of being abandoned by her parents, of failing those she loved, of being alone, and of being doomed to die at the hands of the Knights of Ren overwhelms her.

" _YOU'RE WRONG!"_ She roars.

The Oracle remains unphased, simply bowing her head.

" _Then I bid you farewell, until next we meet. It is not long now until the prophecy is complete."_

The smoke that forms her body swirls aggressively, as though disturbed by a sudden wind. The white gas unnaturally darts for the heart of the statue, and disappears from the room. The sunlight returns and Rey can feel that the temple is rumbling, in motion beneath her feet. To her right, the long windows no longer depict the mountain side, but a vast evening horizon of Tyjimi. Rey is too frustrated, too full of anguish to take in the beautiful sight. As the smoke finally dissipates she simply stands, shaking with fury. Alone.

BB-8 whistles and chirps hysterically, crossing the debris of the atrium to find her. She'd momentarily forgotten he was even there. Her fury breaks into deep sadness at the sight of him.

"Oh BB-8," she says in a small voice. "I thought I was on the right path..."

But BB-8 isn't chirping at her, he is worried by something else. Rey holds her blade aloft and turns, integrating the gloom of the atrium with her eyes. The yellow-green light catches on the metal of two metallic faces, staring at her through the shadows. Vicrul and Cardo leer at her from near the three door frames. Vicrul holds his vibroscythe and dagger aloft, and Cardo juggles two silver detonators with relish. Rey's despair turns to anger again.

"Ap'lek told us that you'd found the temple," sneers Cardo. "But we never thought you'd lead us to the molten heart too."

"Did the Oracle tell you?" Adds Vicrul with cruel glee. "The prophecy is inevitable. We cannot lose. Now step aside, and let us fulfil our destiny. We will reshape the galaxy in our image!"

Rey's hands shake. She isn't sure if it is rage, disgust, anguish, or all three that fill her chest. She is so close to the edge. But there is one bright light. It comes from the end of a shock prod that BB-8 points threateningly at the masked warriors before him, followed by a slew of binary curses. Rey manages a smile at her brave little companion. Even amongst such detestable odds, he refuses to give up. So how can she?

Rey brings her lightsaber up in both hands and aims it horizontally at the two Knights. She lowers her body and breaths deep, calm, the Force energizing her. Even if this fight is unwinnable, the prophecy inevitable, she refuses to give in. Not yet.

* * *

"Poe!"

Rose's voice comes half excited, half panicked over the crackling commlink. "They're coming straight for us!"

Poe approaches the edge of the hangar and gazes up into the sky. He spots the triangular form of the _Finalizer_ moving slowly towards the mountain, a behemoth of military might. He curses under his breath.

"What about Finn, Rose?"

"He's had half his time, and we're almost ready to jump."

Poe's thoughts move fast. "Get us up in the air, Finn can come to us. We need to be out of the atmosphere to jump anyway, time to move."

Rose takes a moment to take in what she's being asked, then responds diligently. "Yes, General!"

In the temple control room, Rose examines the huge stone sphere hovering at it's centre. She places both hands on the side and turns it to point upward. The ancient temple groans as it lifts into the air, leaving behind a great dust cloud as it climbs parallel with the mountain peaks.

Poe retreats from the edge of the hangar to his ship, standing atop it and looking upon his fleet. All eyes are on him, and his voice fills the stone room.

"The Final Order is gonna be hot on Finn's heels, on my mark we'll blast any TIEs out of the sky! Get ready for a fight!"

* * *

On the bridge of the _Finalizer_ , wonders never cease for Grand Admiral Hux. Below him stretches the spiked mountain ranges of Tyjimi, and he watches in complete shock as an octahedron shaped building lifts into the air, stone cracks glinting with yellow-green energy.

"What exactly am I looking at?" Hux's anger temporarily recedes to make way for sheer astonishment.

Fingers dash over terminals, scans are examined, and holoimages are scrutinised, but none of the officers present can categorise the flying fortress that steadily climbs the mountain range before them.

"Grand Admiral, our scans cannot penetrate it," shouts an officer in the control well behind Hux. "It appears to be organic in origin."

Hux's lip curls into a sneer. "This is either Resistance desperation or trickery. Keep our advance and begin bombardment when we're within range."

"Yes, Grand Admiral."

He turns to the three lieutenants huddled behind him, his bitter fury breaking from its restraints once more.

"And _where_ is FN-2187?"

Along a corridor, Finn runs for his life. Thirty or so troopers rush behind him, peppering the walls with blaster fire as he turns a corner. But Finn's luck finally runs out.

As he reaches the end of a hallway, it opens out into the starboard hangar. Two companies of Stormtroopers aim their blasters at him. Though sweat drips from his face and he is more tired than ever, Finn smiles wide. He throws his blaster and helmet down in a show of surrender. Two troopers rush forward, binders in hand. Finn expects the vitriol, the spitting of words like ' _traitor'_ and ' _scum'_ , but they don't come. He's placed roughly in binders and shepherded towards the centre of a barricade of troopers. Lowering their weapons, most scarcely bare to look at him. A sharp-chinned officer at their centre is of a different temperament. He narrows his eyes delightfully at Finn and opens a comm channel.

"Grand Admiral, FN-2187 is in our custody."

Surrounded by Stormtroopers and with the worst fate imaginable ahead of him, Finn does something that unnerves all soldiers present. He smiles wide, at peace. He is exactly where he should be.

Back on the command bridge, Hux cackles triumphantly.

"Excellent Lieutenant, take him to the cells and fetch me-"

But Hux's spiteful celebration is interrupted almost immediately, contributing further to his stress.

"Grand Admiral, we have intruders!"

Hux turns to his gaggle of lieutenants, clenching and unclenching his fists. One of them stands out from the rest - his arm in a sling and his eye blackened from a near fatal encounter with Kylo Ren. Grand Admiral Hux rounds on him with no remorse.

"We've just captured the traitor, Lieutenant Quonit, were you not _listening?!"_

The young Quonit gulps.

"Yes sir, but a transport was spotted exciting our rear maintenance hangar."

Hux's pupils shrink with fear in his bloodshot eyes. "What? Why would they be in there? Explain, now!"

As Quonit grasps at flat explanations, words spoken earlier that day suddenly come to Hux, words said in this very room by his most hated rival:

_The Resistance are preparing to attack Othkore. The fate of the war depends on the outcome._

"No." Hux mutters to himself. "No, no, it's _impossible_. They do not have the men, they do not have the ships, they do not have the-"

Hux's frantic eyes suddenly dart to the floating stone temple slowly coming into view, and the bottom of his stomach seems to disappear. A vein bulges in his reddening temple as he grips a fist full of Quonit's uniform and pulls him close.

" _I WANT EVERY FIGHTER WE HAVE DEPLOYED AND THAT ESCAPING TRANSPORT DESTROYED!"_ He screams into the young officer's face. " _UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL IT REACH THE RESISTANCE!"_

Just below the _Finalizer_ , Jaytu is learning how to pilot quite literally on the fly. The evening wind and snow of Tyjimi buffets the transport this way and that, her team inside holding onto their seats for dear life.

"I'm sorry!" She calls down to her bruising teammates. But what she lacks in flying finesse she makes up for in scouting experience. Instead of diving straight for the temple, she manoeuvres the ship to gain on two TIE Daggers patrolling the sky, hanging in the blindspot before tearing off towards the safety of the temple hangar. The _Finalizer_ has closed a considerable distance between itself and the floating temple, and Jaytu counts it amongst her blessings. She opens a closed comm from the cockpit.

"Rose?! General Poe? I don't know if you can hear me but we're coming in now, and we're coming in hot. I don't think I've been-"

"Lieutenant!" Huf's voice echoes from below. "We've got a lot of company!"

As the temple grows closer, Jaytu checks her scopes and feels her heart sink. Not only has both pairs of TIE Daggers begun to follow her, but the atmosphere around the _Finalizer_ fills with a disgusting number of enemy fighters. The swarm of angry ships meet at a point behind her, and aggressively pepper the air around her tiny ship with emerald blaster bolts. They are faster than she is, and cold fear floods her heart.

"Someone, anyone!" Jaytu shouts into the comm. "We need help!"

* * *

The sounds of lightsaber clashes and blaster fire ring high off the atrium walls. Rey fights fiercely against two crude foes, deflecting blaster bolts and vibroblade alike. BB-8 scurries around her, jabbing at the ankles of Cardo and throwing him off balance. Rey's new lightsaber feels just right in her hand, like an extension of her body. She twirls the blade at Vicrul, feinting a slash, and rolls into a jab that cuts his crude vibrodagger in two. He flinches his hand away from the useless weapon, and Rey steps forward, claiming ground. She points her lightsaber at them threateningly, standing between them and the crystal hovering in the statue behind her. She is determined to defeat them, no matter what the Oracle has foretold.

Cardo pulls himself to his feet. Vicrul switches his vibroscythe to a two-handed grip and laughs at the serious expression on Rey's face.

"So determined are you to defy fate?"

Rey says nothing, keeping her blade steady between her body and her foes. Vicrul inches close, almost within its range.

"The time of the Jedi is over, just accept it."

Rey's blade doesn't falter. She will die keeping her promises. She promised Ben. She promised everyone. She promised herself. She will not be tossed aside. Not again. _Never Again._

"No," she retorts to the crushing hopelessness surrounding her. Cardo sneers beneath his metal face, mistaking her fiery courage for naïve stubbornness.

"Have it your way, _nobody!"_

On the insult he throws a flame detonator, but not at Rey. The bomb strikes the ground between them and an explosion of flame erupted from the floor. Reacting fast, Rey summoned the Force to push the flames away from her and BB-8. What she doesn't expect is for someone to use the flames as a smokescreen.

Vicrul dives through the flames, his arms crossed before him. He emerges just to Rey's right, but doesn't attack her. Hitting the ground running, Vicrul makes a dash towards the crystal housed in the statue's chest. BB-8 rolls to intercept, but Vicrul leaps over him and kicks him down the stairs. Rey is close behind, ducking out the way of squealing BB-8 flying through the air towards her. Rey is mere steps behind as Vicrul outstretches a gloved hand and takes a hold of the crystal. Though crudely disciplined in the Force, he channels his dark desires into the worn and cracked crystal. The effect is immediate.

The crystal colour changes, staining a blood red. The temple shudders violently. The atrium floor creaks as its stones move up and down, displacing both Cardo, Rey and BB-8 down the steps and away from Vicrul. The veins of crystal around them turn from yellow-green to a sickly scarlet. As Rey attempts to regain her footing, Vicrul reaches out a hand to his brother in arms.

"Cardo!" He roars. "NOW!"

The shout sends ice cold fear into Rey's stomach. Cardo is just in front of her, his path unblocked by debris. They both move at the same time, their legs working at inhumane speeds. Rey gains on him as they climb the steps, she is almost level. Rey throws herself forward and slashes with her glowing lightsaber. The blade extends her reach, but she isn't aiming for Cardo beside her - she aims for Vicrul's hand, still holding the bleeding crystal. The Knight's instincts are sharp, and he involuntarily retracts his hand to stop it from being severed. He lurches backwards into Cardo and both topple down the atrium stairs, landing in a heap of metal and dark clothing. But Rey spots the crystal in his hand a second before she realises what will happen now.

The temple shudders even more violently and the scarlet lines of crystal fade. The magnetic shield weakens, and suddenly the atrium is blasted by a howl of wind from outside. Beyond the atrium's six windows Rey can see the peak of the mountain they had been ascending past, but the temple rumbles irritably as it slows down, unable to fly without the crystal. The scream of TIE Daggers can be heard far above them as the Final Order closes in.

* * *

"We're losing altitude!" Yells Rose over the confused din in the control room. "Can someone tell me what's going on?!"

Several of Rose's allies scrutinise their stone workstations, but the patterns and symbols they study are fading in and out, as though the power that lights them grows weak. Rose attempts to reposition the control sphere before her, but it groans in protest. The ancient temple still hovers, but it starts to droop, leaning sideways to rest against the peak of the mountain. The control room shudders as the floor begins to lean to Rose's left. She digs in her feet and tries to convince the temple to lift into the air again.

It's at this moment Rose hears a faint voice coming from her comm.

"Finn?!" She calls into her commlink.

"No it's me!" Calls back Jaytu, panic infecting her usual cool tone. "I'm being beaten up here!"

Jaytu is closing the gap between her and the temple but her transport is in a bad way. The turret gun they'd used to bat away fighters is disabled, and her starboard engine is a smoking mess. Without the jammer to protect them, Jaytu has caught the attention of foe starfighters. Her ship sputters through the air as she desperately tries to outrun the TIE Daggers on her tail, but they're faster.

"Like right now!" Jaytu yells desperately into an open channel.

The TIE Daggers trip over each other, all attempting to get the bullseye, all fearing the wrath of the Grand Admiral if they fail. Suddenly, a squadron of A-Wing fighters cuts through the swarm of attackers, sending a dozen spiralling towards the earth below. Jaytu screams in relief.

"POE! General, is that you?!"

Several X-Wings blast a second hole in the swarm, scattering them into two manageable clouds of TIE. The Resistance's plan becomes clear when a squad of lopsided B-Wings, led by Poe's U-Wing, speed through the opening and up towards the approaching _Finalizer_. Poe's voice blazes through Jaytu's comm, the very embodiment of confidence and optimism.

"Black Squadron, break up those gangs! Comet Squadron, pick off any who break off solo! Razor and Cobalt Squadrons, stick close to the transport and don't let any fighter get within range. Defend it with your _life!"_

Jaytu's heart swells with gratitude as a mass of Y-Wing and A-Wings cut the advancing TIE Daggers around her to ribbons, some even blocking fire with their own hulls. She presses the sputtering transport on, not wanting to waste their sacrifice.

"Shell Squadron, on my mark-" Calls Poe over comms. "Let's blunt that Destroyer's beak!"

Now in range, the _Finalizer_ unleashes a barrage of turret fire at Poe and Shell Squadron, but they may as well not have bothered. Poe's U-Wing weaves and dances around the flurry of green blasts, instead popping each one of the turrets in view with a flick of his blaster controls. He has been doing this for so long, it feels welcome to be back. Uscathed, Shell Squadron follows Poe as they cut a wide curve above the _Finalizer's_ command bridge, levelling out to drop an ion bomb payload right atop their port hangar. The TIE Daggers preparing for takeoff are suddenly halted by the hangar entrance collapsing in on itself, blocking their advance.

Grand Admiral Hux watches this happen with teeth gritted so tight they might shatter.

" _BLAST THAT TRANSPORT TO PIECES!"_ He screams.

* * *

Rey looks from the scarlet crystal in Vicrul's hand to the now empty cavity in the statue. She knows in her heart that Vicrul won't give up the crystal in time, and putting it there corrupts the temple somehow. She knows that the Resistance doesn't stand a chance without the temple, and there is only one other crystal in the room.

Not giving Cardo and Vicrul time to recover, Rey dashes up the stairs they all just tumbled down. As she gets close, a button click retracts her lightsaber blade and Rey reaches out to place the hilt in the statue's chest - hoping against hope the crystal contained inside the hilt will be enough. Mere steps away from the statue's open arms, Rey hears a howl of rage to her right. Vicrul throws his weapon to the ground and launches himself at her, tackling her to the floor. As Rey hits the hard stone floor she yells in pain, and her saber flies from her hand across the steps.

" _ARGH!"_

Rey's cry is barbaric as she punches Vicrul's head as he holds her tight. One of his gloved hands fumbles for her neck, but her brawling upbringing comes out as she twists his hand sharply, snapping his wrist. She prepares to punch him again when the temple stops shuddering. Staring around for the culprit, she spots Cardo just regaining his bearings, dazed, but far from the statue. Confusion sets in for a moment. Then, a stream of excitable and playful beeps erupts behind her, and she turns in utter amazement.

BB-8, hanging from the stone head by one of his thin cables, has placed her lightsaber in the statue's chest. The atrium suddenly erupts with wonderful light, yellow-green colours surging through the cut patterns in the walls. The temple shudders to life, slowly regaining it's hazy shield and levitation. Rey kicks Vicrul in the stomach, winding him, and throws him off her down the stairs to her left. She can scarcely believe she underestimated BB-8, her first companion, her first friend. She beams back at him as he gloats victoriously with beeps and chirps.

"BB-8 you did it! You-"

But her relief dies in her throat. Cardo scrambles forward, motivated by rage, and picks up Vicrul's fallen vibroscythe. Both BB-8 and Rey yell in shock as Cardo unleashes his full furry upon the tiny droid, cutting at his spherical body and head with the scythe blade. The lightsaber stays hovering in the statue, but BB-8's body drops to the floor with a resounding and unceremonious _CLUNK_.

Rey's anguish is actualised as she lifts her hands aloft, commanding the Force. Vicrul, Cardo, and the hulks of stone littering the atrium floor rise into the air. Cardo squirms against his invisible bonds, but Rey's command of the Force is too great. A younger Rey would have struck out of anger, out of rage, like she once did when fighting Kylo Ren in the snow. But now, despite the rage, despair, the desire to hurt, to maim, to avenge that bubbles inside her, Rey makes a choice. If there is any hope of saving her friend, every second counts.

With great effort, Rey cries out and sweeps her hands towards the window, and the Force obeys. Vicrul and Cardo pass through the magnetic shield and are thrown from the atrium windows, as though a sudden gust of wind tosses them into the cold air of Tyjimi. They hit the side of the mountain peak hard. Tumbling unconscious through snow and rock, followed by the atrium debris as they disappear into the mists of the mountain. But Rey is unconcerned with their well being.

Panting from the effort, Rey stumbles half bruised, half dazed, towards the glowing statue. Her lightsaber hovers in the chest, held there by magnetism no doubt, and reflects the dancing lights of the lava below onto the crumbled heap of robotic metal parts now sitting at the statue's feet. The rumble of the temple and the distant sounds of starfighters can be heard, but Rey is numb to the world. She crouches next to the mess of white and orange scrap and picks up BB-8's damaged head. Sparks fly from the deep left by Cardo. BB-8's small red eye flickers in and out of focus.

"BB-8?" She calls to him in a small voice, a sting already happening at the edges of her eyes. "Can you hear me?"

A series of mis-matched beeps streams from his body. He can't quite focus on her.

"It's alright!" She says, fighting back the tears. "I'm going to fix you! I'm not going to let you-"

Part of BB-8's body creaks and falls away, sparks flying from inside the spherical shell. Even Rey knows she can't possibly repair him now. The mismatched bleeps sound again and she attempts to pull his body together. A lump takes form in her throat.

"I never said thank-you for coming down here with me," she smiles through the first tears. "So, thank-you."

The little red eye swivels round, and BB-8 manages a series of bleeps akin to ' _Your Welcome!'_. Then, the sounds fade. The red light in his eye swivels side-to-side, then it disappears too.

Alone once again, Rey cradles the droid's broken body in her arms and weeps for her friend.

* * *

"Commander, we've got power!" Yells a Resistance officer across the temple control room. "We're almost at full!"

"Then let's get her up and away!" Rose yells back, readying herself. She grips the sides of the spherical controls and lifts it upwards. With a groan, it swivels on its hovering axis to point up. The equilibrium of the temple rights itself, the off-kilter flooring becomes level once more. The temple levitates away from the mountain and towards the dogfight. Rose watches the ships draw closer and opens her comm.

"All wings, we're preparing for lightspeed! Jaytu, get in the hangar now! We're coming to you! Hurry!"

High above them, Hux's nose is practically pressed to the glass of the _Finalizer_ viewport. His rasping breath catches on the glass as he heaves like a mad dog. Veins pop in his temple as his face turns as red as his hair. Poe and his team of Y-Wing's approach once more, avoiding the _Finalizer's_ cannons, and drop a second ion payload over their remaining hangar, halting any more TIE Daggers joining the fight. Smoke obscures Hux's view momentarily. He can feel the unmistakable, slipper feeling of defeat tinge his consciousness. It makes him sick.

" _DO NOT LET THEM ESCAPE, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!"_

He bangs a gloved fist against the glass, willing it to shatter and allow him to reach out and squeeze the life from the Resistance himself. Hux stares at the floating stone temple as it becomes level with them some distance away. They're trying to escape.

" _READY OUR TURRETS! ADVANCE ON THAT RUNAWAY SHIP! OPEN FIRE!"_

"But s-sir," stammers Lieutenant Quonit. "We'll be firing through our flee-"

But it takes one glance of Hux's bloodshot eyes for Quonit's quarrel with collateral damage to die in his throat. He turns swiftly to the officers in the _Finalizer's_ sunken control well, pointing with hsi good hand.

"Get us as close as possible! Open fire!"

The _Finalizer_ tips its nose skyward to pursue Jaytu's transport as she fights to reach the ascending ancient temple. A volley of turret lasers fires from the Star Destroyer's remaining cannons, but only hit unsuspecting TIE Daggers in the way. Jaytu is out of their reach. But the sudden execution of their wingmates plunges the hearts of many TIE pilots further into the embrace of fear. One careers off ahead of the pack, and is quickly taken down by an X-Wing, but not before firing off two ion torpedoes into the transports back.

"AAARRRRGGGH!" Screams Jaytu as the transport lurches forward with the impact of the blast. She keeps her hands on the controls but her engines sputter and die. Jaytu hears the wind whistle around her as the nose of the transport tips, and they fall.

"I'm hit!" Jaytu screams into the commlink, into the cockpit itself. "I'm hit! I'm going down! Someone, please-"

As the horizon line starts to dip before her, a cold cynicism sneaks into Jaytu's mind. That whether Final Order or Resistance, this was always her fate. No matter what she tried, it was always going to end this way.

A jerk from the transport knocks her back to reality. Has she hit something? Solid? In midair? Then a crackling voice comes over comms.

"We've got you Lieutenant, prepare for a rough landing!"

Jaytu gazes to her left out the viewport and sees Major Snap Wexley, using the wing of his X-Wing to keep the transport from falling. As she watches in amazement, two A-Wing's are shot from the sky defending a second X-Wing as it approaches her right.

"Just hang on!"

She is now being supported and guided upwards, towards the flying temple and the safety of the hangar.

"Keep your hand on the controls kid, keep steady."

Jaytu does so, the din of fighters clashing filling her ears as the stone temple swallows her view. They are approaching at breakneck speed.

"Nice and easy, nice and easy!"

A TIE Dagger smashed into the back of them but they keep steady. Four ships, huddled, keeping Jaytu on course. Ion torpedoes erupt Snap's right wing into a blaze of flame, but another ship comes in underneath, preventing Jaytu from missing the approaching hangar.

"We've got you Jaytu!" Comes Poe's charismatic yell. "Get ready to hit the ground, be ready! We got you!"

The hangar approaches, and Jaytu resists the temptation to shut her eyes. Suddenly, they are through, and the transports metal landing gear scraped the stone floor as it tried to grip and stop. Snap and Poe blocked her path, using their own manoeuvring skills to forcibly slow the transport down. With their guidance, it skids to a halt at the far end of the hangar, a smoking wreck of metal and busted cannons. Poe is still in the air as his voice blazes over comms once more.

"Infiltration team secured! Resistance get back in here on the double, and Rose, shut the hangar door! Let's get the hell out of here!"

"Twenty seconds, General!" Yells Rose as she angles the control sphere almost directly upwards. In the hangar, the first four ships are followed slowly by the remaining squads as they abandon the dogfight, chased by remaining TIEs, but Poe has prepared for this. Either side of the hangar, soldiers fire flurries of blaster bolts at TIE Daggers still bold enough to pursue, and some catch fatal blows from anti-vehicle laser cannon towers. After the last Y-Wing panicky docks in the hangar, the soldiers defend the entrance with their lives. The bolts of the TIE Dagger's are neutralised by their magnetic shield, and the hangar defence team blast those who get too close.

" _KILL THEM!"_ Screams Hux from the command bridge. " _I WILL RECONDITION ALL WHO FAIL! WIPE THEM OUT!"_

But now the temple has secured all ships, it lifts off high into the air with gathering momentum. Inside the hangar, several of the soldiers fall back. The rushing sky beyond the hangar doors dizzying them.

"Five seconds!" Calls Rose.

The _Finalizer_ closes in on the temple as it leaves the wintery atmosphere of Tyjimi, but their turret fire seems to have no effect. In Hux's mind he has countless backups, but one stands firm: they can be tracked. They can be _found_. The glowing veins of crystal that connect the entire temple pulse white hot. A deafening whirring can be hard from the core room as the temple approaches the very edge of space. Inside the control room, Rose watches as the great navigational rings representing hyperspace turn of their own accord, their destination coming to rest at the top. She presses her hand on a large glyph before her and braces.

The three-thousand ton mass of crystal and stone hits lightspeed with a sudden quake, leaving behind nothing but dust as those inside watch the kaleidoscope of white and blue dance outside the nearest viewport. All gathered on the _Finalizer_ bridge watch as in a flash of white light, their quarry disappears into an unknown hyperspace lane. But not for long.

Hux turns swiftly, his brow sweating, and points to a junior controller.

"Where did they jump to?"

A split second goes past before Hux asks again.

" _Where did they jump to?!"_

The controller looks from her datascreen to Hux in panic. "G-Grand Admiral, th-they-, Our tracker can't sense-, I don't-"

The reality of their situation falls upon all on the command bridge. Against all odds the has Resistance escaped them, again. But something even worse settles over Hux. That Kylo Ren may have been right. He manages to slow his breathing to wheezes, but his eyes still bulge. His next words are filled with loathsome contempt.

"Set a course for Othkore. Return our pilots to the main hangar and throw them in the detention level. They will all be sent to the _Reconditioning Division_ immediately upon our arrival, along with all security staff who allowed the traitors to run rampant."

He turns swiftly and settles his dangerous eyes on Lieutenant Quonit, who flinches as if burned. Hux barely notices as he shudders with sheer rage.

"Quonit, with me. Once we return, every single officer on this bridge will be sent to Reconditioning." He stares around, all other eyes averting away from his bloody gaze.

"Your failure will not be tolerated."

The lieutenants, junior controllers and officers look at each other in sheer terror. Most of them have only heard whispers of the conditioning of their troops, and now they face the same fate. Hux stomps from the room, the muscles beneath his face so tort Quonit fears they might snap. As Hux approaches the double doors, white cloak billowing behind, he pauses at the two flametroopers guarding the door.

"You two, with me. We have preparations to make."

Flametroopers TN-2729 and GH-1719 nod and fall in step behind Hux and Quonit as they depart the command bridge. After Hux's outburst and subsequent demand of punishment, many left upon the command bridge operate navigation controls, data-screens and terminals with shaking hands. Most with fear of Reconditioning. But some are filled with outrage against their Grand Admiral. Soon, he will discover the extent of their contempt.

* * *

The immolation room of the _Night Buzzard_ teams with activity. Down in the sunken well at the centre of the room, a fire sputters. Kuruk has gathered several Jedi trinkets, which he places in the flames in celebration of their coming victory. Dathomirian fire lichen has been gathered and spread across the flames, resulting in a thick red smoke that fills the room. Ap'lek watches from the top of the pit, and hands a ceremonial vibrodagger each to Trudgen and Ushar. Without his master's knowledge, Ap'lek allowed Vicrul to be cut on the dagger blades first, in the hopes they would succeed in their mission aboard the _Talon_ scout ship. Their radio silence suggests they weren't. No matter, they are _destined_ to succeed. Ap'lek examines the cut upon his own hand for a moment, before noticing that his master fills the entrance behind him.

Ap'lek immediately straightens up, holding his executioners axe aloft in salute. Strangely, Kylo Ren's entrance is usually heralded by loud footfalls or a growl of orders. Trudgen pulls back his glove and opens a fresh cut on the palm of his rough tanned hand. Ushar is forced to use his left hand as his right is made of rusted metal. Kuruk attends to the sacred fire, a cut already open upon his right palm. They all look up to the entrance as Ap'lek addresses the last of their number.

"Master!"

The man standing in the door frame looks around for a moment, noting all four of their positions. Ap'lek shifts uncomfortably, noticing that his master lacks his usual gloves, cloak, and something unseen. Ap'lek decides to get the bad news out of the way.

"Vicrul and Cardo failed, master. They have been defeated by the Jedi. If they live, they shall join us at the temple."

For a split second, Ap'lek is distracted by a twitching at the edge of his master's mouth. A smile? He continues.

"But it matters not! We shall seal our bond in blood, and you possess the cracked crystal, therefore we have everything we need!"

His master's eyes widen briefly. Ap'lek has chosen now to divulge what he knows, and his master notably places a hand on the lightsaber hilt on his belt. Ap'lek reaches inside his dark robes and produces another matching ceremonial dagger. Its hilt and blade are crudely crafted.

"The feats will be completed. We will go to Othkore, enter the temple, and fulfil the prophecy. We will reshape the galaxy in our image, in our creed! We will achieve victory!"

Ap'lek gets a little carried away, and reproaches before offering the hilt of the dagger towards his master, bowing his head slightly.

" _Kylo Ren_ will achieve victory. Of course."

The man in the doorway stares at Ap'lek. Though a momentary slip of faux brotherhood, a mere mistake, Ap'lek's mask slips to reveal his true nature. A ruthless, crude, obsessed warrior, and a threat to everything the man in the doorway holds dear. Of course Rey survived Vicrul and Cardo, and she'll survive these four too. He will make sure of it.

"That's not my name," says Ben quietly.

The snap hiss of his crossguard lightsaber sounds and he points it at Ap'lek's face. The Knight backs away, shocked.

"Master, you-" he splutters, barely able to comprehend what he is seeing. Trudgen, Ushar, and Kuruk hurry to the top of the pit, and revel at the man who stands before them. Ben wears Kylo Ren's tunic, holds Kylo Ren's saber, but something is amiss to his followers. His scar is barely visible, the angry red colouration having disappeared. His shoulders and muscles are not hunched and tort like a coiled snake, but relaxed, passive, _calm._ They don't recognise this man.

"Who?" Asks Ushar, over the stuttering of his fellow Knight. Ben looks at Ushar and smiles, unafraid. Ushar's suspicions are all but fully realised. Realisation dawns over all four of his followers, but the depths of his treachery reach deepest for Ap'lek, his most faithful, now shaking with fury. The dagger clatters to the ground as Ap'lek lifts his axe high into the air and charges forward.

" _TRAITOR!"_ He screams.

But the man he fights is not Kylo Ren, and doesn't move like him. Ben curves his body out of reach, the axe slicing only air. He brings his saber hilt down on Ap'lek helmeted face, bludgeoning his nose. Ap'lek yells in pain as blood dribbles down his neck. Ben doesn't angrily advance without cause, he retreats slightly, keeping all four in his line of view and his blade raised. He will not allow them to leave here alive. But now they know of his cracked saber crystal, it is more dangerous to let it fall into their hands. He can't deny it feels right to be here, and his heart blazes with confidence. Ushar steps over the gasping Ap'lek, clenching and unclenching his crude metal hand, his warclub ready.

"I knew it," he growls. "I knew you were soft."

Ben twists his mouth into a half smirk. "As usual you comprehend very little of what's going on."

Ushar loses what little composure he has. He lunges for Ben with his sharp metal hand, clawing at the taunting face, but Ben is too fast. He reaches out into the Force. For years he had commanded its compliance through his own emotions, his own frustrations, but now he asks for its help. Not as a master, but an ally. As Ben stretches a hand, the Force could refuse him. To his relief, it does not.

A telekinetic blast is unleashed, sending a shockwave through the immolation room. The very corridor they stand in explodes, and smoke fills Ben's view. The four Knights are thrown to the ground, but the scramble of footsteps and clink of weaponry tells Ben they aren't done. He swings his scarlet saber to deflect blades and bolts through the smoke, and dashes backwards down the corridor towards the _Night Buzzard_ docking ramp. He finds it and turns to run, but the fight erupts into pure chaos.

Charging through the smoke the Knights chase him ferociously, intent on blocking his escape. Bringing up the rear, Ap'lek is screaming something about the cracked crystal of his lightsaber, but Ben has no time to pause and listen. Kuruk bares his blaster rifle at his head and unleashes several explosive bolts, but Ben doesn't raise his blade to deflect. He calls on the Force once more, to protect him, and it does so. The crackling bolts rebound off his palm with a flash of sparks, rebounding into Kuruk's left shoulder and Ap'lek's hand. They both scream as their flesh is seared underneath their clothes. Ben takes his opportunity and runs, his boots pummelling the metal grating of the bridge furiously as he dashes for his shuttle. If he can just get away, get his lightsaber away from them, everything will be fine.

"He must not escape!" Yells Ap'lek as he pulls himself up by one hand. "Shoot him Kuruk, shoot him!"

The metal bridge shudders as explosive shots hit the bridge but Ben keeps running. Kuruk is not far behind and takes a moment to aim a shot square at his back. Ben can sense his intent a moment before he squeezes the trigger. He outstretches a hand and the blaster bolt freezes in midair. Ben is about to send the bolt into Kuruk's chest when the Knight is pushed aside violently, falling face first onto the metal bridge.

"RRRRRRRAAAAGGGH!"

Trudgen shoves Kuruk to the ground in rage as he and Ushar race towards Ben. He sends the blaster bolt at Trudgen but he deflects it with his vibroclever, and they are upon him.

Ben stumbles backwards off the bridge and deflects a heavy slash of Trudgen's vibroclever. It sinks into the mud of the landing pad, with the shuttle just behind Ben, but Ushar circles behind him. The blade of the vibroclever glows where Ben's lightsaber has melted it, but Trudgen has no care for the state of his weapon. Ben points his blade intimidatingly at Ushar and Trudgen who circle him, his eerie calm still placing them on edge, hesitating.

Trudgen lunges with his vibroclever, and Ben moves to deflect, but too late. Trudgen puts his whole weight into the slash, and it proves too much for Ben. Sparks fly as his saber hilt is slashed, narrowly missing his fingers, and a cut open on his chest. Ben is fast enough to regain himself in time to deflect the strike of Ushar's warclub, but he finds himself in danger. As he brings his saber up to point at his two circling foes, his vision blurs. His legs, already tinged with exhaustion, now feel heavy and move inelegantly. His followers possess prowess in the Dark-Side, but nothing beyond crude manipulation. So what is this feeling? Then Ben realises why the smell of his own blood reminds him of Bogar Prax - it's the poison of the Oracle's pool. Sparks fly from Ben's crossguard hilt and he realises he cannot win this fight, his only option is escape.

Unfortunately for Ben, the Knights of Ren know this too.

Ben manoeuvres Ushar between himself and the shuttle, then slashes at him. As Ushar gives ground Ben dashes for the safety of his ship, but Ushar doesn't counterattack. He throws his warclub to the ground and wraps both hands around Ben's saber hilt. He yells as the blade burns his glove, but he won't let go, and Ben can't drag him along. Trudgen raises his vibroclever high, ready to cut Ben in half to get the saber. At the last second, Ben releases his hold of his hilt and rolls backwards up the shuttle docking ramp. He reaches out a hand and calls back his saber. The metal hilt tugs at Ushar's hands but Trudgen holds his fellow Knight steady, matching the strength of Ben's summoning by brute force. A haze begins to obscure Ben's vision as the poison spreads through his blood stream. Ap'lek and Kuruk arrive on the landing pad and Ben realises he is out of options.

He turns and dashes up the ramp, slamming the emergency hatch. The ramp seal almost immediately with a hiss of steam, and Ben struggles into the cockpit. His anger and disappointment in himself doesn't yet match his need to fulfil his promise to get back to Rey, to warn her, to help her.

"FA-17!" He yells as he crosses the cockpit threshold. The dumpy pilot droid twists its head from the driver's seat expectantly.

"Yes, master?"

"Get us out of here, get us to Othkore right n-"

The ground beneath Ren shudders and his legs give. He collapses to the floor, a cold sweat starting to form on his brow as the poison courses inside him. Ben looks through the shuttle viewport and sees the reason for the disturbance. The four Knights of Ren stand in unison, hands raised. Though their command of the Dark-Side is untrained, they can still command it. Four hands push the shuttle through the Force towards the edge of the muddy pad, his shuttle's landing gear scraping in protest.

"Fire up the engines!" Ben forces himself to his feet and runs his hands over the cockpit controls. "We've got to go!"

"I'm sorry master I've lost control of-" begins FA-17, but it's too late.

The shuttle tips sideways and falls into the ravine, its large wings spinning as it descends between the walls of scrap. It hits the edges and lurches violently, Ben and FA-17 at the mercy of Zoh's gravity. The Knights of Ren watch it go, wounded, but triumphant. Ap'lek's helmet still drips with blood as he curses his former master. Whilst his brothers in arms revel in their triumph, Ushar turns his attention to the crossguard hilt in his hand. With the edges of his metal prosthetic fingers he prizes open the emitter to expose the crystal inside, snapping the hilt in two. He takes the cracked crystal in one hand and holds it before his fellow Knights.

"We have all that we need."

Ap'lek takes the crystal from Ushar's hand and leads them back to the _Buzzard._ Ushar looks to the unsalvageable debris of Kylo Ren's lightsaber held in his hand. As his three comrades depart, Ushar has a moment alone.

"You were wrong, master," He mutters to the hilt. "I _always_ knew Kylo Ren was weak."

He tosses the snapped pieces into the ravine. Only the Jedi stands in their way now. Later, emboldened by their success, the Knights of Ren take each other's hands and seal their bond in blood. With a cracked crystal in hand, they have but one feat to complete. With a boom of it's thruster the _Night Buzzard_ enters hyperspace, to conclude the Oracle's prophecy, and bring a new future to the galaxy.

Without Kylo Ren.

* * *

The hangar set into the ancient temple is filled with smoke. Several of the ships that made it back did so with uncommon landing procedures, and technicians and pilots dash about attempting to extinguish fires.

The cockpits doors to the U-Wing slide open and Poe emerges, covered in sweat and grease.

"Is everyone alright!? Snap, Terez, I need damage reports! Casualties! How are we doing?"

Major Snap Wexley pulls himself free of his X-Wing cockpit. "I'm good Poe, Black Squadron made it back!"

Colonel Terez appears over Poe's shoulder. "Few casualties General, one of Shell Squadron's ships may be down for the count." She indicates to a smoking B-Wing, but Poe waves this off.

"That's great, we made it, we made it!"

Poe can't help himself any longer. As the rest of his pilots clear up, he half walks half runs towards the Stormtrooper transport. What will he say? Not only had Finn been right, he'd proven it beyond all doubt. His recruits had stayed loyal behind enemy lines and secured some of the most important intel in the war! Poe squeezes the jacket he holds as he approaches the transport. He is sure he will find a way to express how he feels, when the moment comes.

The docking ramp of the transport falls and several of Finn's team disembark, dazed. Poe is about to call out Finn's name when Jaytu appears, and her expression makes him freeze where he stands. Her eyes are wet, and she holds the datapad in her hands. Poe doesn't breathe as she approaches him.

"He said," she begins. Many of the recruits around Poe remove their Stormtrooper disguises, revealing faces of anguish. "He said we needed to get this back to you, he said..."

Jaytu's lip trembles as she holds out the datapad. Poe stares at it, realising the immense cost. He can't possibly take it. He can't possibly afford to lose what he has just lost. But Poe looks around, and sees his despair on the faces of Finn's recruits. A tear rolls down Jaytu's face. All at once Poe remembers that this isn't about him and Finn. It's about these people, and what Finn fought for. He takes the datapad from Jaytu's shaking hands.

"I know what he said."

He pockets the datapad and places a hand firmly on Jaytu's shoulder. She avoids his gaze at first but he shakes her until she does. He forces his heart back together just for a moment, resisting the slow break just for them.

"Thanks, _Rebel_."

Jaytu manages a small smile and nods at the affectionate title. Poe looks around at the somber audience.

"Thank-you all."

"Yes, General." They salute.

He indicates for them to get cleaned up, his face set in a business-like smile. They move towards the barracks and he hears a noise that splinters his heart.

"Finn! Finn you did it!"

Rose comes thundering into the hangar, searching through the crowd of scarlet armoured Resistance soldiers with keen eyes, her necklace bouncing off her chest in excitement.

"Where are you? Poe wher-"

And it is the slow realisation on Rose's face that does it. She shakes her head as she gets closer to him, muttering quietly.

"No. No. No. Not him not-"

The excitement in her eyes dies, and they fill with tears. As she falls into Poe's arms, his heart breaks. He wraps his arms around her tight as she cries, gripping the jacket with anguish. Poe Dameron has lost many things in this war, but he mourns more than a friend now. He manages to fight the tears back for a few minutes, but they have their way eventually. The Resistance and their allies have escaped once again, but the cost is high. Too high.

* * *

The columns of junk on Zoh stretch a mile from the planet surface. Between them, rain water and oil collects into pools and streams. In one such pool is the final resting place of Kylo Ren's Upsilon-class command shuttle, smashed into several pieces. One of the wings has torn from the hull during its fall, and the docking ramp sits half submerged in water. To any viewer, there appears to be no signs of life in the downed craft. But Ben Solo lives.

Barely conscious, Ben prizes the docking ramp open and rolls out onto the hull. Before his ship filled with water, Ben was able to discard his thick tunic and dresses his wound. Now in a mere undershirt, trousers, and boots, Ben struggles to stand. The shuttle lays upside down, half submerged in the yellowish brown waters of the junkyard. Ben manages to jump to a dirt bank across from the shuttle, but the effort makes him collapse. The poison seeps through him but he fights it, harder every second. If only he had help.

"Rey…."

Ben tries to summon his energy and gaze through the Force at the one person he wishes to see. But he isn't strong enough, the poison making concentration difficult. Ben forces himself to his feet, standing in the dirt of the bank and looking upwards. He has to get out of here, back to her. There are other ships on Zoh, he can get to Othkore. The Knights of Ren will be going there now, to complete the prophecy, to kill her…

"No," he urges under his breath.

Ben gazes skyward. The walls of the junk cliff are jagged and treacherous, but they are climbable. The scrap is stacked so haphazardly that plenty of the layers can be walked upon. He looks down at his bleeding chest, at the still open cut on his hands. Kylo Ren would have thought he had no choice but to climb, but Ben Solo is not so deluded. Ben wants to get out of here, he wants to get to her, and there's only one way of doing it. In truth Ben has all the options in the world, but he chooses to climb. And that is what gives him strength.

The climb is not as forgiving. Metal edges cut at Ben's arms and knees, and he becomes exhausted from maintaining awareness and balance. On a ridge made of old metal plates he pauses for rest, but he can't give up. Below him in the water, he spots the discarded pommel of his own lightsaber. The Knights of Ren have his crystal, the 'heart of kyber' spoken of by the Oracle. They have all they need.

No, not yet.

"Damn them," he mutters under his breath. A small voice inside him retorts to do it himself, and he resumes his climb.

He makes it halfway before he realises the poison is straining his body too much. He has to rest, but what if he doesn't wake up? A familiar noise sounds above him, the roar of one of the humongous junk droids no doubt. A few metres away he spots another ledge. If he can summon the strength to get there, he promises his body a break. Deep down, he knows that if he stops moving, his chances of survival are slim. Still he climbs. Ben Solo, disgraced Jedi and traitor, climbs for dear life, and he shuts these thoughts out. She has told him. She said it is never too late to choose, never too late to be helped. So those things don't matter. He tears strips of his undershirt and winds them around his palms, refusing to give up. The rain patters his face in ice cold droplets.

He climbs.

His forearm catches on a sharp corner and cuts deep.

He climbs.

The ledge he'd seen comes into focus. Was it minutes or hours ago he'd spotted it? He is losing time. His boot slips and he hangs painfully on the handle of a discarded railing.

"Huuurk!" Ben groans in both pain and desperation.

With a huge effort he swings his foot back into place and breathes for a moment, but he has reached his limit. Exhausted and numb from cold and poison, Ben hangs there on the wall of the ravine, so close to the ledge. He closes his eyes and grits his teeth. He can't give up. Not yet. Not here, at the end of all things. He can't.

Above him, footsteps sound on metal grating. Ben's eyes fly open, and he does something he hasn't done for so long, his voice feels disconnected as he speaks.

"Help!" He gasps, barely able to hold on. His voice sounds hoarse, desperate. "Please, help!"

Clanking footsteps respond and Ben squints as the light of a torch shines upon him. The glare disappears and Ben's hopes plummet, but a gloved hand swims before him. It's just out of reach. Ben tries to lift himself up but he's too exhausted. He takes a few deep breaths.

"Come on Solo," he coaches himself. "Come on you-"

But his words die as he gasps for breath, hoisting himself up onto the railing and reaching upward. The gloved stranger takes his hand and he almost goes limp from exhaustion. The stranger isn't strong enough to lift all six foot two inches of him, so Ben uses the hands now clasped around his own to anchor his climb. After five excruciating minutes of digging and scraping, Ben is hoisted up onto another makeshift landing pad.

The stranger yanks him away from the edge and he is too exhausted to resist, laying on his back looking up into the cloudy sky of Zoh. The rain drizzles onto his cold face and for the first time in weeks he can feel all the exhaustion of his many years of living. He catches a hazy glimpse of the stranger. They're wearing a large overall suit and helmet, gloves, boots, and cape protecting them from the elements. A ship is somewhere behind him, bathing the stranger and himself in white light. He breathes deep, but the cut on his chest has become inflamed and he coughs harshly. To his surprise, the stranger approaches him and cradles his head. They stare at each other for a few moments.

"I've been poisoned," he says hoarsely.

"I know," says the stranger in a mechanical voice coming from the mask. "I'll help you, don't worry."

Ben has endured just about enough masked figures with mechanical voices, but his frustration gives way to another feeling; familiarity. He feels dizzy and exhausted, but he can't deny the ease at which he was being held.

"Who…?" He asks.

As the stranger removes their helmet, Ben is overcome by a wave of emotions. His eyes widen as he searches every detail of the woman's face.

"...Mom?"

Leia smiles down at her son and nods, holding him tight. He continues to search her face. It must be a trick, a lie, another vision of the Oracle's doing. The white light illuminating her is suddenly blocked out by an approaching party. Ben can't even look around to see, but he doesn't need to. A pair of figures come into view of his hazy eyes, and he manages a single word upon seeing them.

"Uncle?"

Lando chuckles lightly. "Yeah, that's right kid."

But Chewbacca isn't laughing. Great tears fall from his hairy face as he wines in a low and mourning song. The giant wookie crouches down and wraps his long arms around mother and son, squeezing them tight. Leia can't take her eyes off her son's face. Ben reaches up to clasps a handful of Chewie's hair, and his nostrils fill with familiar smells; Lando's fine aftershave, Chewie's fur, Leia's clothes. He looks into his mother's eyes and all the emotions struggling to escape burst forth all at once. The last hold that connects Ben Solo to Kylo Ren breaks as he erupts into tears and great, heaving sobs. He wants to shut his eyes against the sting but he just stares into Leia's eyes. Lando crouches down and strokes his nephew's hair as he cries.

In the lights of the _Millennium Falcon,_ the Solo family is reunited and made whole once more. 3PO and R2 watch the scene silently from the docking ramp. They have seen so much over their years, but nothing like this. R2 is speechless for once, but 3PO knows just what to do. He places a golden hand comfortingly atop the domed head of his partner, who whistles a low beeping chime.

Far below them, deep in the ravine Ben has left behind, a charred mask floats atop a pool of black tar. Slowly it sinks, and the face of Vader disappears from the galaxy forever - as Anakin Skywalker's descendants embrace in the rain.


	10. Part III - The Battle of Othkore

Deep beneath the _Final Order Fortress_ , the detention cells hold an extremely important prisoner. Usually only reserved for political tortures and private executions, Finn is surprised to not find himself aboard the _Finalizer_ when he wakes. In truth, Finn has spent no time in the detention or security levels of the Star Destroyer he once called home, having never committed offences of non-conformity before. So, as he rouses from unconsciousness, it takes him a moment to realise he is elsewhere and extremely uncomfortable.

Finn hangs from a wall, his hands and feet secured behind him by large stun cuffs. His armour and body glove has been stripped, his dark shirt and navy trousers drenched in sweat. The room is empty and dimly lit, a walkway before him running to the far entrance opposite. The gutter surrounding the room hisses with steam, and the red and black colour scheme matches the fortress his cell is built beneath. As Finn peers dazedly around the room, an eyesore comes into view wearing a white uniform and cloak.

"The ever rebellious FN-2187," saunters Hux as he descends the stairs, flanked by Lieutenant Quonit and two Stormtroopers whose armour Finn doesn't recognise. Quonit's arm hangs uselessly in its sling and he looks deflated, and disheveled. Hux comes to a stop and towers over his prized prisoner.

"How does it feel to be back?"

The curl in Hux's smirk makes Finn sick. Not only that, his head is ringing from where he's been stunned unconscious. A cut somewhere in his mouth leaks blood.

"You know _Armitage_ ,-" he speaks Hux's forename with great relish. "-when it was Phasma overcompensating with her shiny armour, I got it. She was nothing special, just a big coward. I saw it when she died."

Finn lifts his head and looks into Hux's narrow eyes, smiling knowingly.

"But seeing you in _that-"_

He indicates to the pristine whites Hux wears so proudly.

"-You really are just playing dress-up, aren't you?"

A vein pulses in Hux's temple but he keeps his cool. He opens his mouth to respond but Finn isn't done. He spits onto Hux's chest with as much relish and noise as he can muster. Blood splatters across the creaseless white tunic and begins to stain scarlet. Hux's face turns from sheer revulsion to avid rage, grabbing Finn's face with a gloved hand. Finn simply laughs at him.

"I am going to broadcast your execution to every single Stormtrooper," he hisses at the still laughing Finn. "And it is going to be a warning, to all those who dare step out of line, to any who even _think_ of insubordination. Am I playing _now_?"

But Finn is in high spirits. He has already forfeit his life, he did so when he ordered his team to leave. All of this is just a bonus.

"If you think showing off my death is going to inspire loyalty, you're more stupid than you look."

Finn's grin is disfigured through the fingers that hold his face in place.

"I was something of a big deal aboard the _Finalizer._ I reckon you faking my death came back to bite you didn't it?"

Hux's nose wrinkles as he scowls down at his foe, but realisation dawns upon him; the traitor speaks truth. He shoves Finn's face roughly and turns for the door, patience prevailing once more.

"You may be right, FN-2187."

Genuine surprise crosses Finn's face as he watches his captors exit.

"Looks like I'll have to find another way to inspire obedience in my troops."

The four sets of footsteps disappear, and Finn is left alone. Though the night comes, Finn cannot sleep. In all likelihood, it is his last night alive.

* * *

The Resistance have taken refuge in a large hall near the centre of the temple, now being used as a temporary barracks. Old roots and vines criss cross the high ceiling, and smaller stone alcoves surround the room. Resistance soldiers and staff have relocated generators for light and heat, though they had trouble carrying them down the great stone steps after crossing the stone entrance. Most personnel remain in here, safe on their sleeping mats and in the vacuum of hyperspace. It will be hours yet before they reach their destination, a patch of uninhabited wildspace. Some still tinker away making repairs to starfighters in the hangar, others patrol the corridors, others study glyph translation charts Rose has made. But Rey is not among them.

Far from the high hall in the belly of the temple, Rey has found a small room near the peak of the upper pyramid. The room hasn't seen much sunlight in nearly a thousand years, filled with dust and dead vegetation. But Rey isn't sleeping. She has laid a ragged sheet down and spread her junk net and tools across it with one goal. Sparks fly as she works away trying to fix BB-8's body. She reassembles parts of his main circuitry and makes sure his personality matrix is intact. The soft yellow hue of her clothes has been completely blotted by soot, grime, oil, and grease. Removing her goggles, Rey attempts to jumpstart the little droid, but he doesn't respond.

Her frustration peaks after hours of trying, and she tosses the welding torch into the wall opposite. Her yell is lost in the resounding ' _CLANG!'_ that echoes throughout the empty room. BB-8 head and body sit lifeless before her, the rest kept in her junk net. Rey reaches into the gloom and picks up something laying on her unused sleeping mat. She folds the leather jacket in her hands and holds it to her face, thinking of Finn, of BB-8, of all she has lost. The great sadness she held inside for so long is gone, but pressure comes from the outside now - a crushing, all encompassing loss. The dried tear streaks on her cheeks become wet once again.

Reaching out, Rey looks for Ben through their bond but cannot see him, cannot _feel_ him properly. Is he hurt? Is he... _gone?_ That one thought strikes such fear into her heart she closes her eyes. First BB-8, then Finn… she doesn't know if she can bear to lose Ben too. The cloak he'd put around her shoulders sits just to her right, but she can't bear to look at it. It feels so cruel to be punished like this, adding to the weight of an impossible task ahead of her. Whilst dealing with all this, how can she stop the prophecy?

"May I come in?"

The voice could have been mistaken for Leia. Rey turns and sees why - Luke appears as she first encountered him, over a year ago on the cliffs of Ahch-To. His handsome robe of white, cloak of grey, leather belt and boots are almost translucent. A peculiar shine surrounds him, and he makes no visible impression on the stone doorway he stands in. Luke tilts his bearded head, waiting for Rey to grant him entry. She nods and he crosses the threshold. He stares at the ceiling, and reaches out his bare right hand to touch the wall opposite. His footsteps make no sound.

"Amazing."

Luke's fingers brush over the glowing crystal veins, light dancing through the wall and illuminating glyphs decorating the gloomy room.

"Old, but still full of life. Is this your doing?"

Rey nods.

"A flying temple, with unimaginable powers at your command..."

Luke lets out a rasping chuckle of delight. "I knew I was right about you."

He speaks as though confirming his trust in Rey, but she avoids his gaze. She is unsure if he is even really there. He looks younger somehow, his hair less wiry, and his right hand is not prosthetic. Luke gazes down at his once student with nothing but sympathy. He takes a seat opposite her on a stone plinth.

"Rey-"

"Don't."

Luke becomes wary as Rey glares at him through fresh tears.

"Just don't."

Luke crosses his hands before him and fiddles for a moment. "What do you think I'm going to say?"

Rey rolls her eyes. "It doesn't matter. None of it matters anymore."

Luke moves to retort but Rey stands, silencing him once more.

"I've lost so much and it has gotten me no closer to any answers." Frustration permeates her voice as she stares down the spectre of her master. "I'm….I'm _overwhelmed._ "

Her lip trembles, but Luke simply sits there listening. She carries on, the words coming out unbridled by shame.

"I couldn't save Finn, I couldn't be there for Ben, and I can't protect the Resistance from what's coming _and_ escape the Knights of Ren! No matter who wins this war, the prophecy will doom us all!"

She's breathing heavily now, all her worries spilling forth like vomit. She points angrily at BB-8's lifeless body.

" _AND I CAN'T PROTECT THEM FROM IT!"_

Silence falls as she allows her deepest fear into the room. Her breathing is teetering on rasping sobs. She looks away from Luke and her gaze settles on her bag, which lies open at the head of her sleeping mat. She can see the worn, crude doll that her mother had given her all those years ago. She'd kept it all this time, holding on to the hope, the wish that they would return. But it was a lie she believed. Now the sobs come.

"It's never-ending." She whispers to herself between sobs.

Looking back just a few hours, the Rey who stood triumphantly holding a lightsaber, who felt powerful, hopeful even, seems like such a naïve fool. But now Rey's hopelessness turns to anger, to self-loathing. Her parents sold her. She failed to protect Finn, Ben, BB-8. And she will fail to protect the Resistance too.

"I...I can't stop it."

The silence holds for a few seconds, then Luke stands and faces her. His bright blue eyes seem to look straight through her.

"Rey, I didn't come here to lecture you. I came here to _thank-you._ "

He smiles quite plainly but Rey just stares back, dumbfounded. She searches his face for deception. What could he possibly…? Luke can't help but laugh at her expression.

"Ha! You really are something, you know that Rey from nowhere? You see the best in everyone you meet, but you think so little of yourself. It's baffling."

Luke crosses his hands behind his back and begins to walk around the room, circling Rey.

"Not only did you inspire me to face my nephew, you've done so for many others. It was _you_ who rescued the Resistance from the clutches of defeat, _you_ who supported young Finn in seeing the truth of the war when nobody else would, _you_ who believed in Ben when nobody else would. Who gave them the guidance to face their fears? Who trusts her instincts and protects the Resistance from within some kind of _flying fortress! You!"_

Luke indicates excitedly around at the ancient temple. Rey stares at him, speechless. Can the temple do more than she'd anticipated? Luke is practically overflowing with enthusiasm as his pace quickens, coming to a halt before the door.

"This is what defines you as a Jedi, Rey. Your relentless belief in others, your boundless compassion. It ripples out and brings so much to so many, and you _refuse_ to see it. My sister was right. The one who is in need of this kindness the most is _you._ Turn it inward. Be kind to yourself."

Rey is paralyzed by Luke's praise, but manages to fumble her way to the stone seat. Luke watches over her warmly as she runs her hands through her long hair. She looks up at him and maybe, just maybe, she is starting to believe. In her memory she can see Finn, alive thanks to her. In the deserts of Jakku, BB-8 asks if he can stay with her. On Ahch-To, Ben reaches out a hand to touch hers. She tells Luke, on the verge of tears, that she will not fail him. Leia holds her hand as they both feel Luke become one with the Force. But something still nags at the young Jedi, stopping her from appreciating her own successes.

"The prophecy. I don't-"

But Luke shakes his head. "I don't have the answers Rey, but I _know_ you do. You can't stop it, so what _can_ you do?"

She looks from Luke to the floor and thinks, hard. Maybe she is seeing this all wrong? The prophecy is inevitable, so what can she do about it? She thinks of Ben, whose cloak is rolled at the edge of her sleeping mat. She thinks of him outstretching a hand to her at her lowest, a few hours ago, a fresh cut still present from where their blood was needed for the prophecy. Why _their_ blood? She tenses her fists, thinking hard. The cut on her palm opens again making her wince, the pain distracting her from how-

Suddenly, her eyes fly open. She stands, heart pounding. Realisation floods her. She goes over the feats the Oracle described hours ago in her head and her perky smile returns. She turns immediately to Luke but he raises a hand.

"No, as I said, I came here to say it first." He looks into her eyes and they sparkle with admiration. "Thank-you."

Rey bows her head in gratitude and suddenly, Luke is gone. Alone again, she breathes deeply and fully. The answer was before her the whole time, but she understands now why she couldn't see. Leia and now Luke both saw to that. Beyond that, Rey has a hunch why Luke had specifically wanted to thank her, and she decides to test her theory.

* * *

The corridors of the _Millennium Falcon_ are quiet. The patter of rain can be heard hitting the hull as Chewie and Lando prepare the old freighter for flight. R2 and 3PO have been enlisted for jobs in the cockpit, and the common area is strangely still. A few porgs still nest in the walls of insulation and wiring, but their snoozing breathes are barely heard.

Leia sits in the captain's quarters, the protective suit and cloak she wore in Zoh's putrid atmosphere folded on a desk she leans against. Two old metal objects sit upon the desk as well; a battered, silver lightsaber hilt and two gold dice connected by a chain. Beneath the covers opposite Leia sleeps her son, bacta and oxygen being pumped into him by a medical mask and tubes. What little of his face can be seen is bruised, bloody from his fight with the Knights of Ren. Leia watches over him, but not alone.

The old General can sense a presence in the room. She hazards a guess as to who.

"Rey?"

Leia's senses sharpen and she can roughly see Rey standing there, looking over Ben. their bond is strong enough now, even when one is unconscious. Rey's garb is dirty, her hands bruised and grime clings to her face and hair. She looks exhausted, but there's an energy to her that Leia can't decipher, I look in her eye. Rey is completely focused on the man beneath the heap of blankets.

"Is he alright?"

Leia reaches out and strokes the hand of her son, nodding. Relief floods Rey's heart. She is out of tears, but she wants to cry with joy. A quiet smile spreads across her face as her and Leia gaze at each other, revelling in the success of their pact for just a moment.

"I'm sorry Leia, but I've come here to ask more of him," begins Rey. "Of you both."

Leia's gaze turns to confusion. Anakin's welded lightsaber hilt glints behind her on the desk.

"Meaning?"

"I need him to fight alongside me. I won't be able to do this alone."

The Jedi knows the danger of what she asks, but there is only one way to win. Leia's eyes narrow accusingly, but Rey is ready with the truth.

"It's more than that, this goes beyond prophecy and war. I _want_ him by my side," Her heart beats frantically as she actualizes her affection. "It's about time I admit that."

Leia tilts her head, knowingly. It appears Rey took her advice after all, and is finally being honest about her feelings. She knows what glints in the Jedi's eye now. She felt it for Han, a powerful force. But she has just got her son back, and her motherly guard remains strong.

"Does he have to go?"

Leia's words are sharp, unforgiving, cautionary to any that might put her son in harm's way. But Rey's resolve hangs on one single fact; Ben is her only hope.

"Yes."

Rey waits with bated breath. She is keenly aware of what she asks of a mother; to allow her son back into the reach of death. Leia straightens up, retrieving her father's battered weapon, gripping it tight.

"Then of course he'll fight," she replies, a flare of defiance infusing her words. "He is _my_ son."

* * *

Deep in the uncharted territories of wildspace, the ancient temple exits lightspeed with a jolt. The patterns on its exterior glow hot white, then return to the cooler yellow-green. The temple needs rest before it can take another jump, and the Resistance uses that time wisely.

The centre of the control room is occupied by two pieces of apparatus; the large stone astrolabe rings that map hyperspace routes, and the levitating stone orb and plinth that control the temple's main functions. Scattered across the rest of the room stand large stone blocks that recall terminals and datascreens. They glow with sensory and visual data, akin to the cockpit controls of a traditional flagship. The far wall of the room offers a windowed view of a blanket of stars, protecting the breathable atmosphere inside with a multi-layered magnetic shield. Though these instruments are a wonder of both ancient and modern space travel, members of Resistance Command gathering in the control room have more pressing matters.

Upon a great circular stone table, Jaytu operates a holoprojector that illustrates a worrying sight. Multiple layers of information and blue images shimmer in the air before them; a planet surrounded by a ring of debris from excessive excavation. Several near built Star Destroyers in industrial wells. A thin building where soldiers are taken to be reconditioned. And the _Final Order Fortress_ , a behemoth of metal blocks, towers, and a near impenetrable outer wall. The holoimage of this stronghold dominates the room.

"-have less than a day before those Star Destroyers reach completion, General" Jaytu was saying. "If we are to launch an attack, it's now or never."

Major Snap Wexley examines estimations of enemy ships before him, attempting to work out the odds compared to the strength of their Starfighter Corps. No matter how he looks at it, the Resistance are outnumbered at least six to one. He gazes at the apprehensive expressions of his fellow squad leaders, then to Poe.

"We were lucky to lose so few against the _Finalizer_ General, but this..."

The veteran pilot rubs his fingers together anxiously. "They'll overrun us within minutes."

The other squad leaders and their wingmates murmur in agreement. Colonel Terez sits deep in thought, her mind attempting to organise their ground forces in a route to success. Her advisor Commander D'Acy works away on a datapad of her own, attempting to maximise their still depleted attack force. Commanders Connix, Rose, and Jaytu watch the colonel closely, and she stands.

"The Supreme Leader and his senior command will take refuge inside the fortress, no doubt about that."

Terez indicates to one of the towers amongst the high walls of the shimmering fortress before them.

"If we can get close enough, we'll storm the gate and break down their defences. But Snap's right. Their TIEs will blow us out of the sky once we get close. Not even the _Craitstar_ will survive."

"A hornet's nest," adds Snap.

Captain Nien Nunb drops his head in shame. Terez strikes the stone table with her fist in frustration, shuddering the holoimage.

"Come on there must be _something_ we can do! We can't let them inflict their fleet upon the galaxy again, look what happened last time!"

The memory of the Hosnian Prime disaster hasn't dulled in time. Most in Resistance Command remember, some looking up in the sky to watch the New Republic wiped out in one shot from the dreaded Starkiller Base. Commander Rose gets to her feet defiantly, her eyes red from tears.

"What about _Finn?!"_

Terez averts her gaze away from her courageous Commander, the loss of Finn still etched into the hearts of all gathered - in those who called him a friend, an inspiration, an idealist, or occasionally over the top and annoying. The sting of losing such a central figure in the Resistance hangs heavy in the room.

"If Finn's alive," says Rose, her words full of anguish. "Then we owe it to him. He needs us. If we can rescue him-"

"No."

Poe finally speaks. All eyes look to him, standing at the head of the table, eyes staring at the holoimages with blank acceptance. But Rose's face contorts, abandoning all etiquette.

"Poe! We can't give up on him, he was right! His recruits risked their lives for us, for this intel! He gave his life for it! We have to do something!"

Poe matches her anger with a sad, knowing smile. "I know he did Rose, but we can't match the might of the Final Order. They have more ships, more troops. They've taken so much, and we won't survive facing them now. Finn is more than likely dead."

Rose stares at Poe in disbelief. Jaytu falls into her seat, the pressure of living up to Finn's sacrifice crushing her. Dejectedness grips Snap, Terez, the squadron leaders. There's so few of them, and they can't hope to match their foes.

"I'm sorry," Poe begins with wincing finality. "But our attack is over."

The reality finally drops with all its weight onto what remains of the Resistance. At the end of all this fighting, all their struggling for rebellion, for survival, their spirit is finally defeated. The spark grows dim.

But not for long.

"Poe," says a voice behind them. "Finn is alive."

Poe turns, and so do his Resistance allies. The woman who stands in the doorway is wrapped in a bright, honey coloured garb and elegant cloak, her hair flowing behind her in the curious atmosphere of the temple, accents of green amongst her uniform matching the temple's fauna. The physical and mental wear from Rey's duel with the Knights has been replaced by determined optimism. Poe, Rose and the other commanders stare at Rey in shock.

The Jedi steps into the light of the holo, a calm smile across her face.

"We're not alone," she assures Poe. "The spark we've given so much to nurture will finally burn bright. We have more allies than you think, more strength than you know, and Finn is not lost. The Resistance can rescue him."

Poe meets her gaze in disbelief. Allies? Power? Hope for Finn? He can't even comprehend these things.

"How?" Asks Rose desperately.

Rey smiles knowingly at her. She takes the datapad from Jaytu in one hand, and touches the palm of the other to a crystal glyph on the edge of the table. The glyph glows, and Rey wills the room around her to change. Immediately, the table sinks into the ground and the floor around them begins to move unnaturally. Poe, Rose, and the other Resistance commanders steady themselves and watch in awe as the stones and crystal making up the room morph before their very eyes, Rey seeming to command it with just a touch. The circular table sinks further, and Rey stands atop it. Circular rings of stone around the table form a sunken pit, where Rey places the datapad inside a stone slot in the floor. Two large crystals appear from holes above and below her, projecting a crystal-clear image of the _First Order Fortress_ into the dusty air. The thirty or so Resistance members gathered manage to stay standing as the grinding stone comes to a halt finally. Rey is still smiling at Rose.

"This temple is a conduit of the Force, and it can be molded to suit our needs."

She points behind her at the crystal-generated holoimage.

"And that's not all. The temple and I can fortify you against the Final Order's ships. We can get you close to the Fortress and protect you once there. Inside you will find both Finn and Senior Command, whose capture will end the Final Order once and for all."

"What about the Star Destroyers?" Asks Poe anxiously. "The troops on the _Finalizer_ will overwhelm us, let alone the thousands of new recruits gathered inside that base."

Poe's anger increases at the sight of Rey's coolness. How can she feign confidence like this? Pretend this isn't their most desperate hour?

"Even if you kept every air and ground vehicle off our backs, how are we going to match the might of over four thousand Stormtroopers?"

Rose searches Rey desperately for answers, but Rey regards Poe with stoic content.

"We can't match them Poe, but we can _save_ them. Finn was right. The Final Order is held up on fear, not loyalty. With the help of those kidnapped and forced to fight, we can end this. If we're the spark, they're the fire that will burn the Final Order down."

Confidence radiates from Rey as she stares Poe down. Jaytu's heart stops in her chest. Is Rey suggesting…

"An uprising?"

Rey nods at Jaytu, but Poe's anger only doubles. He's already had to accept the loss of Finn, he can't lose anybody else. He won't. He descends the stone pit to stand level with Rey, the green light of the holoimage haloing her.

"Your powers are impressive Rey, but this can't be done." His dark eyes penetrate her blue, willing her to see their hopeless situation. "Insubordination on the scale you're proposing is impossible. Who will turn them against their masters? You?"

Rey's perky smile returns as she lets out a dry chuckle. She pulls a folded jacket from her belt-bag and offers it to Poe in answer.

"No, that's not my path. But the man who defeated Phasma? Who liberated Stormtroopers? Who ordered a ceasefire? Who spoke out against Hux? He believes it can be done, and so do I. This is his plan. Finn will lead the uprising."

Poe stares at the leather jacket Rey holds out to him. His eyes sting as his fingers move over its rough, worn exterior. He holds the shoulders as it unfolds, and the familiar smell of Finn wafts up to him. Underneath the iron exterior of the Resistance Leader, a woman's voice speaks inside Poe's head.

_Hope is like the sun; if you only believe in it when you can see it, you'll never make it through the night._

The grief that Poe has buried deep refuses to be contained. His hands tremble as he holds the jacket. It will take strength to hope again, to dream that he'd see Finn again, that this can work. He believes in Finn more than anyone else, but he'd been a soldier for so long, so used to accepting tragedy and death, this kind of dream is far beyond his belief.

"How?" Poe's voice cracks as he challenges Rey, his eyes still on the jacket. "How do you _know_ this will work?"

"Because he'd do the same for us. He risked it all to save you. He rescued Jaytu and more from the horrors of Reconditioning. And he came for me when I..."

For the first time since entering the room, Rey's calm demeanour cracks. The naïve girl who left the Resistance behind aboard the _Millennium Falcon_ shines through - unsure, scared. But she regains herself, drawing breath deep, preparing the words she refuses to hide any longer.

"He came for me when nobody else would. For an orphan whose parents sold them, this meant the world to me. It was _everything_."

A tear glints in Rey's eye but she smiles through the anguish. This memory isn't something she hides from any longer, it can't control her like it used to. She has hold of the inner skeletal monster that lived for so long inside her, and she squeezes the life from its body. No more. _Never Again._

"And I _know_ that it will mean everything to them, too. The Final Order has built their strength upon the backs of orphans, they are the ones who win their wars. This will be their downfall. These tortured people deserve our help, and together we will unite and burn down their masters."

Rey looks to Rose, just off to her right. She smiles wide as Rose can barely contain her tears.

"This is how we win."

Rey is suddenly joined by Jaytu, who grips her freckled hand. Rey is slightly startled with this rigorous show of solidarity, but Jaytu is determined. She looks at Poe with sharp brown eyes, seeing his despair, and nods in agreement with Rey.

"It can be done, General. What I've been given is precious, and my brothers and sisters will see that too. They hope for it, for this kind of chance."

Terror floods Poe's body. He looks around at Jaytu's intimidating hopefulness, and Rey's knowing optimism, at Rose's teary belief, at Snap's growing assuredness, at Terez's determination. The Resistance is coming round, the spark blossoming into a flame that can shine across the stars, even burn a regime to the ground. But he stands at its centre, and he can't deny the fear that paralyzes him.

He lost Finn once, how can he even consider risking that again? How can he risk the Resistance, these people, the man he can't live without, on this chance? This battle will change Poe's life, and that scares him. He will either emerge richer than any man alive, or everything he loves will be killed. And there are foes who had _promised_ that outcome, foes that Rey has failed to stop.

"Those 'hunters', that prophecy." He lowers the jacket and indicates around at the ancient temple walls. "This is where they complete it, isn't it? You can't stop that, can you?"

The buzz of optimism that has been gathering momentum around the room dies suddenly as all eyes turn to Rey. Fear grips them. Not of Stormtroopers or TIE Daggers, but of masked warriors dressed in black with bombs, blades, and scarlet lightsabers. They wait for Rey's answer, but she has nothing but the truth.

"No, I can't stop them."

Shock crosses Jaytu's face, whilst Rose is flooded with fear. But Rey isn't done.

"But the Jedi can."

"What do you mean?" These words don't rowse Poe from his anxious stance. "You _are_ the last Jedi."

Rey's smile is wide and full of elated excitement.

"Not anymore."

Rey turns and reaches a hand towards the shimmering green holoimage, commanding the temple through the Force to show what she wishes. The projection of a tall, imposing figure fills the room. His face is wrapped in a cowl and recognizable helmet, wearing a long tunic of black. In his gloved hands he holds a crossguard saber aloft, ready to strike. A tinge of nostalgia blends into Rey's excitement.

"The _Supreme Leader_ is no more, I have seen to it. He and his Knights will not interfere with the rebellion, _Kylo Ren is gone!"_

The silence breaks as the room erupts into disbelief and cheers. Jaytu holds her head in her heads, scarcely able to believe it. Rose throws her hands around Rey's neck, barely able to comprehend her friend is capable of such power. Colonel Terez slaps her on the back, and Rey looks slightly overwhelmed as she continues to hold Poe's attention.

"It's true, Hux and his men are all that remains." She breaks away from her congratulations and takes Poe's hand. She puts both on the jacket and forces it into his chest.

"The Jedi will triumph. I know how hard this is, but I need the Resistance to hope again."

She grabs his hands tight.

"I need _you_ to hope again."

Poe stares at her. She _knew._ She can sense his pain, she knows it as well as he does. She knows that risking it all is so hard, so unforgiving in the face of certain destruction. Poe realises that there is no running away. If they run now, the Final Order will decimate the galaxy, as they did to Hosnian Prime and countless others. And they wouldn't last long after there isn't a galaxy to save. In truth, Poe can believe in rescuing Finn. But looking into Rey's eyes, he understands how similar their journeys are. Both naïve in their own way, brought to the truth kicking and screaming by somebody who loves them. And now it is their chance to return the favour. Poe isn't stupid; he knows what Kylo Ren being 'gone' means. If she can do that for Kylo Ren, how can he refuse? How can he turn his back on Finn in his hour of need? He can't. He won't. And as Poe puts on the jacket, he _knows_ he can save Finn.

"You got me, Jedi. For Finn."

Rey's smile is so wide her cheeks hurt.

"For Finn."

The two leaders hold each other close for just a few more moments of solidarity before breaking apart.

"Listen up!" Poe turns to address the room. Rey reaches out with the Force. The image of Kylo Ren disappears, to be replaced by the visage of the _Final Order Fortress_ once more.

"We've cultivated this spark for _this moment_. This is it. Everything we are, everything we've learned, every advantage we've fought for and every battle we've survived has led to this moment. We can't do this like the Rebels, like the New Republic. They failed because they tried to overpower this enemy, to obliterate them. But we aren't them. We will burn them down, destroy their very core, and help the galaxy finally _heal."_

Rey watches Poe in awe for a moment before she steps up beside him.

"Our primary goal is the rescue of Finn. I can sense he is being held in the _Final Order Fortress_ , therefore I will guide us close enough to initiate a ground assault. I'll protect you from the _Finalizer_ and any ships pursuing us."

"The bulk of our troops will occupy the front, whilst a small infiltration team will enter through these entranceways and access the cells, rescue Finn, and inspire... an _uprising!_ "

The holoimage changes to show several gutters that travel below the outer wall and into the lower levels of the Fortress, zooming in on the cells Finn is currently being held in.

"If I know Finn, he'll have the words." Poe grins nostalgically, thinking back to the arguments between him and Finn in a new light. "Rose; can you slice into the comms? Get Finn's message to the troopers?"

Rose pulls a ring of silver slicing keys from her bag.

"Finn was captured with the jammer, but I can find a way into the comms if I'm inside!" She replies, enthusiastically. Poe and Rey beam at her.

"Without Ren and his Knights, they're at a disadvantage," continues Rey. "Once our allies have increased, we'll pincer the remaining forces between us and capture Hux and his goons. Then, this war will be over!"

"FOR FINN!" Both leaders shout together.

"FOR FINN!" Reply thirty voices in unison, some anxious, some determined, but all hopeful and resolute in their mission. The mood heightens in the control room as Resistance Command are united in their plan of attack. Whilst they chatter in agreement, Poe leans over to Rey.

"Are the Knights going to come for you?"

Rey nods. "The Oracle has seen it. They will come during this battle."

Poe looks at her optimistic face with a growing sense of powerlessness and concern for his friend.

"You sure you'll be alright facing them _alone?"_

Rey smiles confidently back, as though ready for the fight already, excited even.

"I won't be alone."

* * *

The wide viewport of the senior command tower rattles against the scarlet maelstrom of sand that beats the surface of Othkore. The tower is the largest of the Final Order Fortress' five. Erected at the fort's centre, the command tower gazes upon the entrance gate and beyond. Whilst its four siblings guard each corner of the wall, the command tower was created to withstand explosive bombardment, and can only be accessed from two entrances either side, which are now under heavy guard. These walkways descend to the main entrance courtyard below, where the oversized gate now opens to admit one of their own.

Admiral Griss, one of the Final Order's Senior Command and second in power only to Hux, surveys the courtyard with disapproving eyes. Stormtroopers arm themselves with mounted repeating blaster rifles and metal crates for cover, readying themselves for battle. Tall and intimidating metal sentries known as K-8IX Conformity Droids stand dotted around, though they do not aid in the war preparations. Their purpose remains mysterious to Griss. Their behavior and blank faces remind Griss of prison wardens. A veteran of the Galactic Civil War, Griss is suspicious of Hux's recent ferocious climb to power. The old Admiral ascends one of the staircases towards the command tower, keeping his loyal guard of six scarlet armoured Stormtroopers close and ready for when Hux will inevitably betray him. The thick blast doors open into the command tower interior and Griss prepares himself.

"Admiral Griss, as prompt as ever."

Hux doesn't even wait until Griss crosses the threshold before childishly reinforcing his superiority. Though Griss' blood boils, he meets Hux's petty remark with a curt nod and joins his fellows at a large round holotable. Generals Engell, Bellava and Quinn acknowledge his presence with a look before returning their attention to Hux. The red-haired leader is practically beside himself with power gluttony. A cartoonish grin crosses his pale face as he stands on an elevated platform, looking beyond the red tinted windows to the rumbling storm beyond. Griss notes that his uniform is freshly cleaned, as though he'd pressed it excitedly before coming here. Griss scowls in distaste. Hux approaches the holotable from his platform.

"Excellent, now all of Senior Command is here-"

A large holoimage of the fortress they now stood in the centre of appears.

"I have personally gathered intel that suggests a Resistance ambush upon our location is imminent, and have already started the preparations to wipe them off the face of our planet."

Hux gazes around confidently at his senior officers but is met only by shock and disappointment.

"They know of _Othkore?_ " Replies Engell, masking panic. "Our origins here were closely guarded for _years_ during the New Republic!"

"How is this possible?" Demands Griss gruffly. "How did they know to look for us? And how did they succeed?"

"The details are irrelevant," retorts Hux, his voice rising slightly. "All that matters is they're saving us weeks of tracking them down."

Hux indicates around the room. Several squads of Stormtroopers and at least thirty of the tall, expressionless K-8IX Conformity Droids line the room in droves, guarding both entrances and even leering over the several petty officers reading sensory data.

"We are more than prepared to fend off a few hundred trigger-happy radicals. Our fleet of Star Destroyers nears completion, and we have destroyed or intimidated all military opponents. The Resistance will meet their end here, on Othkore."

He turns and looks beyond the window, across the track to where the five Star Destroyers are being built day and night, and where the _Finalizer_ sits, refuelled and armed.

"It's ironic," mutters Hux, more to himself. "So many years mining and building in secret and now the war ends here, where we started."

Hux feels as though his years of patience have finally paid off - he is the senior commander of this loyal and ever expanding military force, facing a defenceless galaxy ripe for conquest. No longer does he bow to weak willed men like Kylo Ren, Snoke, or his father. No longer does he beg for scraps. He holds the power to reshape the galaxy, to wrestles its despicable unfairness into order. Unfortunately for Hux, he has inspired little confidence and vision in his subordinates.

"What of the Resistance's new defences?"

The dramatic excitement building inside Hux diminishes. He rounds sharply on Admiral Griss.

"That unnatural floating ruin? What of it? Our visual scans registered no weapons, no offensive capabilities of any kind. It's nothing more than a cracked shell."

Griss forms his gloved fingers into fists behind his back, but maintains his cool.

"Its qualities are unknown, therefore it presents a risk. We have no idea what offensive, defensive, or spacefaring capabilities it possesses."

Hux allows a moment to pass, staring at each of his outdated commanders one-by-one.

"Distinguished Commanders, I will make something perfectly clear." He speaks with the air of one addressing very ignorant children.

"I am not confident because I have smelt too much of my own perfume, or because I believe myself invincible; quite the contrary. Through planning, preparation and patience have I gained all that we possess from those that wished to use us, and I will do so again."

The sincere passion in Hux's voice is shocking enough to hold the attention of his commanders. Hux waves a gloved hand around them.

"I have poured countless hours into pushing the boundaries of what the Final Order is capable of: weapons, tracking, recruitment, conformity, and yet more I have prepared away from prying eyes."

His watery eyes flicker to the K-8IX Conformity Droids and the very Fortress they stand inside, his manner of a keen boy eager to show off new toys.

"So I will say this; I do not underestimate the Resistance. They are desperate, cunning, and unpredictable. But they, like some of you here, underestimate _me._ I have multiplied our defences, tripled our avenues of counterattack, and laced this Fortress with dangers that will punish their brashness. The Resistance will face their death here, one way or another."

"Grand Admiral!"

The petty officer's voice is strained as it calls from behind the five leaders gathered at the holotable.

"Proximity alert! These hyperspace readings are impossible to-"

Hux façades a stoic look of calm. He sweeps from the table, ignoring the chorus of confusion rising from his sensory detection officers, and strides before the tall scarlet-tinted viewport once more. Griss, Engell, Bellava and Quinn follow him. Hux waits patiently, hiding his apprehension from his colleagues. Engell spots them first.

"They're here."

Every single muscle in Hux's face is taught with anxiety, but he pushes through.

"Then they come for their death."

Though Hux's words are full of malefic confidence, what appears before him next shakes even his deep rooted assuredness. The ancient temple arrives suddenly, exiting hyperspace mere miles above them. The piercing red sun of Othkore is suddenly obscured, throwing the Fortress into shadow. The stone octahedron fills the very sky, it's dark exterior permeated only by antique patterns glowing hot white. Dust and other debris falls from its great sloped walls, vines and trees still clinging from its years of slumber. The supernatural floating terror hovers closer to the architectural fortress Hux watches from, the two citadels courting towards an inevitable death match.

"W-what is it?" Splutters Admiral Griss, his years of naval experience shrinking in the shadow of the temple. Hux's heart beats frantically, but he controls himself.

"A cracked shell, Griss." Hux's tone is tort. "Raise the _Finalizer_ to meet her."

Griss contains his disbelief. "Yes, Grand Admiral."

They watch from the command tower viewport as the triangular Star Destroyer rises from the sunken well it was built inside. The approaching ancient temple descends towards the scarlet pathway leading to the Fortress, and the _Finalizer_ advances on the temple's rear to intercept from underneath.

"Launch all fighters, seize control of the airspace," commands Griss.

But before Griss' orders can be met, the behavior of the temple reacts to its Star Destroyer pursuer. The temple's descent is altered with lightning fast precision, reversing to intercept the approaching _Finalizer_ head on.

"How? How can it-" Questions General Engell in disbelief, but Hux isn't concerned with the supernatural marvel.

"Evasive manoeuvres!" He calls to his commanding officers. "Do not let the target get close! All fighters and turrets, open fire!"

The _Finalizer_ does as commanded. A spew of TIE Daggers fills the air from each of its side hangars, and a barrage of emerald laser fire surges towards the approaching temple. The turret fires finds its mark upon the stone walls, but explodes uselessly against the thick magnetic shield that keeps the temple protected. Meanwhile, the temple's speed only increases towards the _Finalizer_ as it slowly retreats towards the engineering wells. But it is not quick enough.

"Prepare for impact!" Calls the officer commanding the _Finalizer_ bridge, as they and their staff are tossed like ragdolls as the tip of the metal flagship meets the reverse point of the temple's lower pyramid.

The temple's speed, stone exterior and magnetic shield become a devastating battering ram. The _Finalizer's_ nose is blunted and its trajectory completely rendered from control as the temple bulldozes it from the air. The TIE Daggers evade their downed flagship and swarm the temple itself, trying and failing to pierce the shield with ion missiles. The temple keeps up the pressure, forcing the _Finalizer_ down to the ground. Just shy of the sunken well it rose from, the underbelly of the great Star Destroyer meets the durasteel floor with a sickening crunch. Its three huge engines sputter and die as it is rendered a useless wreck, the many officers and Stormtroopers inside reeling from the impact.

"Tsk," sighs Hux, as though the destruction of his personal and only Star Destroyer is a minor setback. "How long until the other five are in the air?"

"Almost ready Grand Admiral," comments General Engell looking over her datapad. "But we've got another problem."

Hux squints through the viewport. The temple has halted in midair. Two squads of Resistance fighters depart their stone base and shoot towards the engineering wells, their motives unsavoury for his five unprepared Star Destroyers.

"There's fourteen of them," Hux retorts with simpering relish. "All Fighters! Divert and overwhelm them!"

The swarm of TIE Daggers do as ordered, abandoning their barrage of the temple's shield and giving chase to Shell and Cobalt Squadron. They don't get very far, however. Deep inside the temple, a hand reaches out and commands the power of the Force. A layer of the magnetic shield expands, enveloping the enemy starfighters. The TIE pilots suddenly lose control of their vehicles, staring around wildly as their ships are frozen in midair, held by the magnetic might of the temple itself. The sudden panicked chatter of the _Finalizer_ fleet comms is interrupted by Hux.

"What's going on?! Pursue them! Get them!"

The Y-Wings and B-Wings of Shell and Cobalt Squadron loop the engineering wells in a handsome arc, dropping ion payloads on the newly-built Star Destroyers housed below. One by one the downed flagships succumb to the Resistance's weapons, the ion explosions short circuiting their systems and rendering their engine immobile. Hux's voice strains slightly as he commands his aerial defences yet again.

"Wing Leader, why are you disobeying a direct order?!"

"We're frozen here, Grand Admiral!" Comes the spotty response over the TIE fleet comms. "It's some kind of stasis field! It's holding our fighters in place!"

Hux squints at the halted swarm of fighters around the distant temple, and realises with a pang they aren't hovering. Each fighter shakes slightly, as though trying to break free from an invisible force. Fear tinges Hux's heart, but he cannot afford it to take root. The two Squadrons of Resistance bombers deposit their final payload atop their last downed Star Destroyer. Hux grinds his fear into anger.

"Failure will result in _Reconditioning._ Do you understand, pilot?"

"Y-yes sir!" Comes the crackled response across the comm line.

The squadron leader's TIE Dagger fires its twin engines at full speed, attempting to break free of the magnetic stasis field. It only succeeds in pushing the capabilities of their metal starfighter too far, as it is torn apart and explodes in a shower of amber fire. Now a greater fear enters the hearts of all the TIE pilots who watch.

"That goes for all of you!" Hux's voice is cold and without mercy in their helmet comms. "Insubordination means _Reconditioning!"_

Shell and Cobalt Squadron enter the safety of the temple's hangar, and the TIE Daggers are freed from their stasis. The wreck of the squadron leader's TIE falls through the air, and the pilots left behind hesitate.

"Pursue those fighters! Destroy the defences of their base! Do it now!"

Hux's voice inspires fear in the pilots, but the presence of the ancient temple is overwhelmingly terrifying. It only takes one at first. A straggler on the edge of the pack turns his TIE Dagger skyward and engages his hyperdrive, fleeing the danger as he is overcome by fear. Then a few more catch on and escape before they're noticed. Then half a squad flee as well.

"NO!" Hux's voice fills the entirety of the senior command tower. "You cowards!"

The last of the deserters disappears into hyperspace, leaving a mere seven fighters to deal with the colossal threat before them. The temple ignores their pursuit and begins to move etherily through the air, advancing towards the fortress. The peak of the reverse stone pyramid hovers mere feet above the scarlet runway as it approaches. The remaining TIE Daggers circle and fire relentlessly, but they are mere insects to a colossal floating giant.

"How?" Hux mutters to himself, his mask of military confidence beginning to slip. "How is this possible?!"

* * *

The answer to Hux's question lies deep inside the temple core room. Rey sits cross-legged before the statue - its stone arms still open, head bowed, Rey's lightsaber powering the molten heart of the ancient temple. Surrounding Rey is an intricate ringed dial of patterns and glyphs, reacting to her movements and thoughts. Rey herself is immersed in the Force, her calm mind welcoming its influence like a river filling an empty pool. Through the Force she and the temple are one. She can sense the remaining TIE Daggers surrounding the temple, as through the stone bricks are her own flesh. She focuses on her target - the Final Order Fortress - and the temple moves through the air by Rey's sheer force of will. Rey's body hovers a foot off the ground, her cloak rippling around her as the barriers between her body and the Force become harder to distinguish.

The noise of the remaining fighters fills her senses, and she outstretches a hand before her. The circle of ancient characters surrounding her glows and moves accordingly, mechanical and magnetic forces in the temple alter themselves in accordance with Rey's mental command. This time, the magnetic shield expands and pushes the TIE Daggers away forcefully. The pilots inside lose control of their vehicles as they are tossed away into the air by another invisible wall. Rey's eyes are closed but her senses are sharp, and she can feel the fear and hesitation in the hearts of the remaining pilots.

"You're all clear Poe."

Rey's voice doesn't come from her mouth, but instead reverberates ethirily around the temple's crowded hangar, another of its curious powers.

"The Force is with you, Resistance fighters."

"I hope so-!" Calls back Poe, as his U-Wing leaves the gloom of the hangar behind, entering the dusty atmosphere of Othkore.

"-We're going to need it."

The U-Wing leads a ragtag group of bulkier starships; the _Lady Luck_ , the _Craitstar,_ the Stormtrooper transport, and several other single fighter ships. The larger ships land on the scarlet durasteel approach of the Fortress, close enough to the outer wall as their cargo is revealed; the majority of the remaining Resistance forces, armed with all they can carry, pound the durasteel runway and storm towards the Final Order Fortress. Colonel Terez lugs a heavy repeating blaster onto her shoulder, whilst twin gunmen Lo and Le survey the battlefield with menacing grins. Poe's U-Wing lands smartly at the front, and forty or so Resistance soldiers exit his ship. His coat clasped around him to protect from the dusty winds and his EL-16 blaster rifle held aloft, Poe joins them and beckons to those behind.

"This is it! Advance, take the gate! You heard the Jedi; the Force is with us!"

A legion of over two hundred Resistance soldiers meet Poe's words with a cry of enthusiasm and storm forward, rifles raised. The remaining TIE Daggers have regained their controls and speed to intercept the ground forces now dashing for the Fortress, but they're no match for the six A-Wings that cut through the sky to intercept.

"Razor Squadron! Protect our troops with your lives!" Comes the voice of Captain Tam Ryvora over the Resistance fleet comms.

The TIE Daggers ion fire never meets their marks as they're either blown from the sky, or flee in fear of death and Reconditioning. Soon, the airways are clear as the Resistance surges towards the Fortress in the shadow of the hovering ancient temple. The senior staff watch the fleeing of their last aerial defence fleet with anxious attention, but Hux has regained his self-assuredness. From behind the glass of the senior command tower, he sneers at the advancing Resistance foot soldiers.

"Commander, the Resistance are targeting the gate. Send in the first wave."

The twenty foot gate doors recede, and the majority of the fortress' Stormtrooper guard spill like blood onto the runway. With very little protection between, the advance of the Resistance is halted as blaster fire begins to colour the air between the galactic foes.

"Tam, we need cover!" Calls Poe into his wrist comm.

A sweep of ion missiles answers him, halting the advance of the Stormtroopers. Some retreat back into the safety of the fortress outer wall as Captain Tam leads a strafing run above them. Poe beckons to his fellow soldiers as they quicken their pace once more, but Poe realises too late that the Stormtroopers retreated for another reason.

"Find cover, now!" He yells, diving down into a lowered gap in the runway.

The slow clunk of AT-ST walkers can be heard, as four pairs exit the fortress' gate and form a line of defence. Blaster fire from their frontal cannons catches some Resistance fighters by surprise, and Poe's mind moves fast.

"Commander Tico, how we doin'?" He mutters into an encoded comm line.

"We're almost there, Poe!" Comes the crackling reply.

Rose, Jaytu, and the team of ex-Stormtroopers tiptoe in the shadow of the rear wall of the Final Order Fortress. Having crowded themselves into a small Resistance transport pod, Rose has piloted them successfully behind the fortress as soon as they'd entered enemy space, the overwhelming presence of the ancient temple distracting the Final Order's sensor officers. With her jammer captured along with Finn and without the parts for a replacement, Rose couldn't rely on it for protection, only luck. Leaving the pod behind, Rose leads her team to a large metal grate that lifts free, exposing a network of large tunnels leading underneath the outer wall.

"Going dark now, keep them off of our scent!"

"Roger that Commander," Poe can't stop the yearning in his voice from breaking through. "Go get him, Rose!"

But the assault upon the fortress gate has hit a serious snag. Razor Squadron performs another strafing run and downs an advancing AT-ST, but at the cost of one of their own ships that spirals out of control to crash into the durasteel floor. It'll be another minute before Tam brings her wings back round, and by then the AT-ST's will be on Poe and his soldiers.

"What do we do, General?" Calls Commander Connix to Poe's left, but Poe doesn't need to answer.

He remembers what casts the shadow they're all standing in, and looks behind at the hovering ancient temple. Deep inside the temple's core room, Rey senses the approaching line of seven walkers and reaches out a hand towards them. A wave of magnetic energy surges towards the metal walkers and envelopes them, lifting them into the air and towards the temple itself. As they rise, some of the Final Order pilots flee through the top hatch in terror. The AT-STs long mechanical legs flail helplessly as the remaining pilots inside are thrown around their box cockpit. The walkers come to an abrupt stop against the lower face of the temple, and there they stay - trapped by the temple's magnetic field.

Poe's grin stretches from ear to ear as he barely contains his awe at Rey's newfound confidence and power. He leaps from cover and pushes forward.

"Quick! Take the gate whilst they're defenceless!"

Poe spearheads the advance as all of his troops are within metres of the gate, which begins to close. But General Dameron is ready, his study of the plans Finn secured serves him well.

"Colonel, now!"

Colonel Terez and seven of her soldiers stop, crouch, and take aim at the gates. Their larger repeating blaster rifles punch holes in the outer gate, and destroy a key mechanism. Both doors stutter and stop, unable to close as Poe leads his soldiers across the ground they've won. Soon, Resistance soldiers pass through the outer wall gate and into the vast entrance hall, which is filled with Stormtroopers. Hux and the senior staff watch them enter from the senior command tower looming above.

"Engage them!" Shouts Hux at the surrounding officers and commanders. "I don't want a single Resistance soldier to step foot outside that entrance hall!"

Poe's stalling tactics are directly challenged now. Inside the tall fortress wall, they no longer have the aid of Razor Squadron's support, who are now dodging and evading fire from turrets affixed atop the outer wall towers. And Poe's forces of a few hundred now faced the overwhelming defences of many more Stormtroopers, outnumbering them at least five to one.

"Hunker down and engage!" Calls Poe to his soldiers. "We've gotta buy them more time. Commanders; this is stage two."

The commanders of the ground forces understand Poe's coded language, and direct their groups. The Resistance huddle behind barricades, and change the blasters to 'stun'. The Stormtroopers have set up several lines of defences; barricades of their own and heavy blaster rifles mounted at strategic intervals up the twin outer staircases leading to the senior command tower. But the Resistance won't budge, and more and more scarlet armoured Stormtroopers fall, blasted unconscious by Resistance blasters.

"Grand Admiral," whispers Engell gingerly, examining her datapad. "The Resistance are targeting our Stormtroopers with stun blasts."

"What is their game?!" Demands Admiral Griss. "Are they mocking us?"

But Hux's suspicion flares. The Resistance must need those soldiers alive for some reason, but why? Hux's ignorance prevents him from seeing the truth, and he concludes otherwise. One of his hunches eventually proves fruitful.

"They're stalling. Bottleneck them here and send the second wave to approach from the other side of the gate."

Below Hux, Poe is likewise attempting to reorganise his forces. He begins first with their priority mission. He opens a comm to Rose and is delighted to see his signal is received. Progress has surely been made.

"We're holding the gate. Have you got him yet? Commander Tico?"

"We're almost there Poe!"

Beneath the Fortress, Rose, Jaytu, and their squad of a dozen Resistance agents shine torches down a wide metal tunnel. Rose turns down a passageway to their left and checks her wrist. A small holoimage of the tunnel system appears, aiding her navigation. Her torchlight finds a small hatch, meant for maintenance staff.

"Just up ahead here!" Rose calls into her comm and to her teammates. "Jaytu, there!"

Jaytu steps in front of Rose and raises her green and yellow poncho, revealing a large blaster rifle.

"You better step back!" She says, confidently.

The blaster rifle fires, punching holes into the thick hinges of the hatch. Jaytu prizes it open.

"Let's go!"

Rose and her team enter a thin corridor filled with steam, their boots pounding metal grating. Their mission has taken them far below the Fortress, and they approach its lower levels. All pause to wait for two Final Order sentry droids to pass, before dashing up a larger corridor amidst the steam. Their hearts beat ceaselessly with apprehension; a firefight between them and any adversaries, win or lose, will mean their cover blown and their mission failed. The intel they gathered leads them to believe this part of the fortress is loosely guarded, but as they draw closer to their target, so multiplies their foes defences.

"Stop," whispers Rose, holding out a hand. "Wait."

The small team duck into a small crop in the grated wall and hide amidst the steam. Two Stormtroopers and a tall conformity droid march down the hallway, their clanging footsteps disappearing out of sight.

"Have any of you seen those droids before?" She mutters to the team of ex-Stormtroopers.

Rose looks to Jaytu for answers on the unknown droid, but Jaytu shrugs her shoulders. Huf and Leven, who are enjoying being out of Stormtrooper armour, scratch their chins and join the rest in shaking their heads. Rose listens for more guards.

"Alright," she whispers. "The detention cells are just up ahead."

The team holds its breath as they press on. This is their chance. Their mission is deemed more important than their friends making a stand high above them at the gate. Some grip their blasters with shaking hands or sweat more than usual, but underneath all that anxiousness there's excitement - they may yet save Finn from a terrible fate, and watch him lead a rebellion of their brothers and sisters.

Rose grins, the same hope burning within her too.

"Ready?"

They all nod. Rose darts out into the gaseous corridor, her team hot on her heels. They arrive at a large ladder and hatch, which Rose quickly scales and opens. Popping her head above the hatches frame, Rose gazes around the detention cells of the Final Order Fortress. She is at the centre of a crossroads between several rooms, only one of them being used. Jaytu follows Rose and pulls each member of the team out as Rose approaches the door control. Her skills at slicing have improved over the past year and the door clicks open. Blasters raised, Rose and her team enter the cells and dart to the far wall, and are met with a sight that fills them with dread.

"Rose?" Jaytu lowers her heavy blaster rifle looking confused. "What's going on?!"

Rose turns away from the empty binders on the far wall. She fails to mask the panic in her voice.

"I...I don't know."

Jaytu searches the room frantically, and to no avail. The infiltration team watch in horror as all their efforts are made completely redundant.

"Where's Finn?!"

Rose lifts her wrist commlink to her mouth.

"Poe, he's not here! I repeat, Finn's not here!"

Out in the ongoing battle for the gate, disbelief breaks across Poe's face as he hears these words come from his commlink.

"No," he mutters, anguish filling his chest like ice. "No that's impossible, they wouldn't-"

High above Poe Dameron, Grand Admiral Hux stares down with satisfied malice. General Engell, ever persistent to stay in his good books, updates him once more.

"Grand Admiral, there's been a security breach in the rear waste pipeline."

Hux lets out a cruel, childish chuckle.

"So _predictable_."

He points at one of his senior officers stationed in the control well.

"Lieutenant Quonit, begin the transmission across all channels. I want them all, friend and foe, to see this."

* * *

Finn blinks. Unpleasant sounds and harsh light wake him from unconsciousness. He can just about open his eyes, staring into the clear sky. The sun isn't visible from where he is sitting, but he can feel its heat on him. The howl of the wind buffets his hair, and he can taste sand. His senses sharpen and he lolls his head to the left. A scarlet armoured Stormtrooper stands there, looming over him. There's one to his right too. He tries to look down at his hands and feet but can't - his head is held in place by a metal brace. He strains his wrists and ankles against similar bonds. Finn is confined in an elevated chair. His ears pick up on an acute sound, and he recognises a droning inflection. It is the despicable sound of Armitage Hux's smug voice, bolstered mechanically to several times its usual volume.

"-ur precious FN-2187. May this be a lesson to all Resistance traitors and Stormtrooper alike,-"

Before him, Finn can pick out that he is on a balcony or roof, with high walls and an entrance out of view. Before him, a Final Order sentry droid points a holo-transmitter at him. It is filming him and his Stormtrooper guards. But why? Hux's speech drones on, and Finn can pick out a childlike excitement in his voice that makes his heart stop.

"-let this be a lesson in conformity, to all those who believe resistance is a valid option in _my_ galaxy!"

The two Stormtroopers turn towards Finn. One lowers their blaster and presses a button on a control panel before them. Finn's bonds tighten, forcing his head into forward position. The sensation is familiar and ice cold dread fills his body as buried memories begins to surface. This isn't a chair, it is a _Reconditioning Unit._ Finn looks up as several long metal arms extend before him, some with needles, syringes of fluid, and sharp utensils. Though fear grips his body, Finn fights back. His face is one of tort rage as he faces that which has haunted his nightmares for years. Before the first needle touches his skin, he realises why he's being filmed.

Finn's screams fill the very air around him, as they are broadcast galaxy-wide. Upon the worlds his own cries of rebellion were transmitted to not twenty-four hours ago, now Stormtroopers and officers gather at their respective garrison to watch FN-2187 get his comeuppance. In the trooper barracks on Canto Bight, Scout Troopers and TIE pilots stand in ordered lines, watching a holoprojection of Finn's torture as their commanding officer scrutinise them for any insubordination. Inside the cockpits of TIE Daggers patrolling Cloud City, pilots watch from behind faceless helms as Finn's screams fill their heads. Inside the rundown garrison of Coruscant's Level 1212, Stormtroopers stand in seven lines of ten, watching as Finn is reconditioned before their eyes. Three officers walk amongst them, ready to shoot anybody who displays behavior that isn't emotionless conformity.

Finn's deafening scream is heard around the Final Order Fortress. In the detention level, Rose, Jaytu, and their infiltration team share looks of despair and tearful anguish as their friend is tortured. But it's worse for Poe and his soldiers. From behind his barricade of crates and ammunition carriers, Poe gazes with eyes filled with tears and rage as his Finn writhes in pain, the holoimage broadcast in perfect clarity above him and his soldiers. Fear grips the hearts of the soldiers of the Resistance, replacing the bolstered confidence they had gained from the safety of Rey's temple and Poe's charismatic leadership. But their foes pause too.  
Stormtroopers engaged at the gate gaze up, their expressionless helmets masking their horror. Some push on, but some begin to remember their Reconditioning at the hands of their superiors. But they must push on, must suppress their fear and outrage to continue their orders, lest they face the same fate as Finn.

"Reconditioning is the cure for such chaotic behavior." Hux's voice is broadcast loud and clear, his disdain intact.

Deep in the temple core room, Rey's expansive senses fill with the fear and anguish emanating from seemingly every direction. The sheer force of such emotion causes Rey to sweat, overwhelming her. But she has been overwhelmed before, and she is in control now. She always was. And she has sworn to protect others as she should have been.

Rey breathes deep and concentrates, searching for a familiar presence. She finds it, _Finn._ He's alive. She searches for another one close to Finn's presence.

' _Rose.'_

She spoke her friend's name into the Force. Deep in the fortress Rose tilts her head, looking for the source of the familiar voice reverberating inside her head. She wipes the tears from her cheeks.

"Rey?" She calls back, aloud.

' _Finn needs you, Rose.'_

Rose jumps slightly at the answer coming from inside her own mind. Once she takes in Rey's telepathic words, Rose's face screws up in despairing guilt and she replies.

' _Rey, he's not here! And Hux's is using my signal, my jammer to broadcast what he's doing to Finn! He's dying.'_

Rey's face is blank as she hovers a foot from the ground, cross-legged, and calm. But a single tear drops onto her cheek.

' _I know,'_ she responds. ' _But Finn is near you. There's still time. Find him, save him. Without him, the Resistance is lost.'_

Rose wipes a sleeve across her face roughly, burning away the cold grip of fear with blazing compassion. Her friend still needs her.

"Right."

She turns to her team.

"Finn's still here somewhere, this holoimage is live. Let's do what we came here to do."

Her fiery determination spreads to Jaytu, Huf, Leven, and all the others. They answer her in unison, the only respectable way they know;

" _Yes, Commander!"_

* * *

There is a unique sensory response in the Force that surrounds the intense pain Finn is experiencing. Rey's senses are sharp and extensive, thanks to her deep connection to the ancient temple, and she can feel this response emanating from the Final Order Fortress, like a sea creature disturbing the surface of the water as it writhes in pain. Rey allows herself to hope, to trust that Rose can do what she so wished to do herself. If their roles were reversed, Rey would cut down any obstacle and opponent between her and Finn. They'd both gone through so much, both apart and together, and she will force the galaxy to give them a reprieve from all the hurt, all the despair that it has so unfairly bestowed upon them. And those responsible will face justice.

But Rey has a far more important role to fill.

She must protect the statue behind her - the core of the temple itself. Its thin arms are open, head lowered and chest bare. Inside its molten heart hovers her lightsaber, held there by magnetic forces and powering the very temple she occupies. Rey, a few technicians, pilots, and several nests of porgs are the only current occupants of the temple, but she senses the approach of several more as they manoeuvre their jagged ship into a crevice far below her.

Several men clad in dark robes and armour step forth into the unexplored corridors of the temple's lower levels. Rey recognises two of them by their lust for violence in the Force, and is disheartened to see them still living - Cardo and Vicrul. The other four she knows only by name and face - Kuruk, Trudgen, Ushar, and Ap'lek. The Knights of Ren, reunited at last, rid of the weak master, and with fate on their side have come to fulfil the Oracle's prophecy. Rey is not as naïve as to stop them as she once attempted, but she still needs time to prepare. For now, Rey listens as the dark warriors discuss their plan.

"Where, Vicrul?" Ap'lek sharp mechanical voice is accusing, impatient.

Vicrul pays no attention as his own keen senses permeate the gloomy corridor they stand in, lit only by the glow from outside.

"Above us," he mutters darkly. "The heart of the temple, it is this way."

"This is too easy," grumbles Trudgen, raising his vibrocleaver suspiciously.

"You're wrong!" Barks Kuruk. "Look! The _Buzzard_ barely survived."

Kuruk points his rifle at the jagged ship behind the group. Its engines have been hampered by forcing the hull of the ship through the magnetic field, and its corners and edges have been blunted and squashed. Trudgen shrugs.

"I don't see a difference. She still flies."

"Yeah!" Cardo adds, gleeful at the discomfort of Kuruk. "She did her 'duty'."

"Enough bickering!" Hisses Ap'lek. "Vicrul, lead on."

"The Jedi is here, somewhere," whispers Vicrul, as though Rey crouches behind a corner. "She will fight us to her dying breath."

Ushar laughs, which sounds more like the bark of a wild beast. "Ha! As has been foretold. What can one Jedi do against _us?"_

High above them, Rey grins at those words. She can sense the aggressive passion that drives them, vengeance, lust for violence, and she will face them as Vicrul says. But not yet. Rey lowers one of her hands and flexes her influence in the Force. The veins of crystal that extend out of the circle of glyphs surrounding Rey flashes, firing like the synapses of a large crystal brain. The corridor that the six Knights traverse through rumbles.

"What's that?" Trudgen demands. "That noise?"

Vicrul stares around, trying to categorise the power that makes the stone walls shudder around him.

"I don't know."

"It must be _her!_ " Cries Cardo, his heart full of vengeance. "She-"

But Cardo never finishes his insult. Ahead of Vicrul, up the stone stairs leading to the temple's upper levels, a rushing sound makes him stop dead. The temple has its own organic air and water filtration system, orchestrated through a web of vines, plants and trees that make up an integral part of the ancient temple's bionetwork. Rey doesn't understand much of it, but she can sense where some of the water reserves are kept, and how to release them.

The Knights of Ren are suddenly engulfed in a ferocious torrent of water. Swept of their feet, the masked warriors descend violently down the steps they'd just traversed, but these are no ordinary warriors. Using their hands and weapons, they cling to the walls and challenge the tide.

"It's the Jedi!" Yells Vicrul over the rush of water. "She's doing this!"

"Raaaah!" Yells Ushar as his prosthetic metal fingers scrape the wall of the corridor. Ap'lek forces his executioner's axe into the wall, and pulls himself above the stream of water.

"Split-up!" He commands. "She'll have a harder time tracking us individually. Hunt her down."

Not having any qualms about going it alone, the Knights fight the water and cut off onto different paths, leaving Ushar to stubbornly climb the water-filled staircase. But Ap'lek's cunning pays off. Though Rey shifts doorways and alters the elevation of their paths, she can't prevent their approaches individually. Rey opens her eyes and her feet extend to touch the floor. A shrewd determination crosses her face, replacing the calmness she held when connected to the temple. Her sphere of sensory information shrinks, though it has strengthened thanks to being connected to the temple. Though not as acute, she can feel the six Knights travelling towards her, spreading out into separate paths.

Her hand itches to grip her lightsaber. She turns to look upon the gleaming silver hilt as it hovers in the statue's chest, giving it life. The yellow-green glow fills the room. Rey cannot use it to fight. She gazes to her left, through the high windows of the temple. Through the magnetic shield she can see the outer wall, and the many rectangular buildings making up the Final Order Fortress. She doesn't just need to buy time for the Resistance, she needs to stall the Knights of Ren until help arrives.

She sets off, weaponless, the Force her only ally, resolute in her mission to herd the Knights into her trap.

* * *

High upon the central building of the Final Order Fortress is situated the public executioner block, usually used by the Final Order to punish insubordination within their ranks. Hux decided to use this to film Finn's Reconditioning, as it is close enough for him to access from the senior command tower, but far enough away that the Resistance will not be able to find it, under heavy guard, and it's appearance will stir fear in his Stormtroopers. Unfortunately for Hux, there is one thing he hasn't encountered for.

Amidst Finn's screams, Hux continues his mocking of the Resistance:

"Soon FN-2187 will be rid of his weakness and rejoin our ranks, to do what he was _meant_ to do; restore the Final Order to power, and provide us with our birthright; the galaxy itself!"

The degradation of Finn to a mere pawn in Hux's grand game is meant to override the influence he has in the Resistance and Final Order. At the moment, it is working; the hearts of Finn's Resistance friends grow heavy with despair and his Stormtrooper siblings with fear, but in some of them, another emotion burns hot and unbound - _outrage._

Some still only fear for their own lives. BP-7937, who is controlling the _Reconditioning Unit_ Finn sits in, has been scared into following orders to the letter from now on. But his fellow guard, TN-2729, has other ideas. Her heart burns with anguish. She has become slowly more disturbed and disgusted watching Finn be tortured into madness before her, and as her empathy for Finn multiplies so does her contempt for the cruel Grand Admiral. She holds her blaster in her hands, but they shake at the swirl of emotions inside her.

"TN-2729!" Barks BP-7937 opposite her, the voice coming through her helmet. "Control yourself."

But TN-2729's shaking continues. There's only one way it will stop, and she knows it. She aims her blaster pistol at her partner.

"S-stop it," she says, shaking with rage. "Stop h-hurting him."

But BP-7937 is more scared of Reconditioning than he is a blaster pistol. His hand stays on the control pad but moves, slowly, towards his own blaster.

"Lower your weapon, TN-2729," he commands in a low voice. "That's an order!"

"I said, STOP!"

As BP-7937's hand finds his pistol grip, he is forced backwards by the impact of three blaster bolts piercing his scarlet breast plate. He lands hard on the floor, a smoking hole in his chest, dead. The Reconditioning Unit powers down, and Finn gasps in relief and breathes deep and heavy.

"Who….?" Says Finn weakly.

TN-2729 walks around the apparatus holding Finn and pushes a button. The bonds holding his hands and feet release, and he almost collapses to the ground. TN-2729 catches him, hoisting him up. He looks up at her, dazed.

"Who're you?" He whispers.

TN-2729 honestly doesn't have an answer, so she repeats her number at him. Finn realises he's being rescued by a Stormtrooper.

"That's not a name. What's your name?"

TN-2729 pauses for a moment, then does something so dangerous it makes her heart leap. She takes off her helmet and tosses it aside, revealing her short crop of curly hair and brown eyes.

"My name's... _Tunine_. I'm here to rescue you."

Finn looks into her eyes. After taking such punishment, his charismatic grin dazzles her. Tunine quickly realises that her voice just reverberated round her, and spots the sentry droid opposite them still broadcasting a holo across the stars. Panicked, she raises her blaster pistol and reduces the droid to scrap. She arms Finn with a spare then boosts him to walk.

"Let's get you out of here," she assures him. "We're about to have a lot of company!"

Below them in the senior command tower, a deathly silence has fallen on all those present. The holo transmission was cut from broadcast just moments ago, as Tunine introduced herself on air after committing a grievous act of insubordination. The gravity of the backfiring of this broadcast weighs on all present. The petty officers barely dare to breath. Lieutenant Quonit looks down at his boots, holding his useless arm anxiously. General Engell studies her datapad profusely. Admiral Griss stares ahead, burying the resentment and embarrassment from what he'd just witnessed. Grand Admiral Hux has his back to all, compartmentalising his reactions to what had just happened through sheer force of will. Finally, he speaks.

"Lieutenant Quonit," his voice is low, but rage still bubbled beneath. "Dispatch a team to the roof of the war room to secure TN-2729 and FN-2187 immediately."

"Yes, Grand Admiral."

"Than-"

In his attempt to keep his mannerism intact, Hux had almost stretched his façade too far. He catches himself, and alters his ' _Thank-you'_ into something more deserving of his rank.

"Be quick about it."

His words are almost drowned by the sound of gunfire below him. The transmission has bolstered the courage of every Resistance soldier, whilst leaving each Stormtrooper a whirl of fear and confused relief. More and more armoured soldiers fall, stunned by Resistance blasters.

"Keep pushing!" Belts Poe over the din of blasters, a vigorous grin plastered across his face.

Either side of the stretch of land the Resistance slowly encroaches upon, two sealed blast doors open and the third wave of Stormtroopers spill onto the staircases, doubling the foes numbers. Among them march the tall guard droids, who resist the stun bolts of the Resistance blasters far better than Stormtroopers do. Poe dashes forward to support the frontline of the left staircase.

"What are those?" Poe mutters to himself whilst dodging blaster bolts. He skids behind his troops and yells over their volly.

"Don't let them take a foothold, push up those stairs! For the Resistance! For Finn! FIGHT FOR FINN!"

* * *

The web of energy coursing through the ancient temples walls are mysterious but not invisible to Ap'lek. He can faintly sense the energy converging up ahead, and decides that is where they are destined to emerge victorious. His leather boots barely make a sound on the dusty stone floor, though his clothes are still damp and heavy. He holds his weapon before him, ready to strike at a moment's notice. Ap'lek peers into a side path, but finds another suspicious dead-end. He reaches the end of the corridor and almost cuts Ushar in half, who appears from a hallway to his right.

"Argh!" Curses Ushar. "Watch you blade!"

"Watch yourself!" Ap'lek snaps back. "I told you to split up. Why are you here?"

Ushar growls angrily, daring Ap'lek to accuse him of stupidity. "I don't know… the walkways..."

"The Jedi is wise to our methods," comes a synthesized voice from behind.

Ap'lek and Ushar turn to lay eyes on the grated mask of Vicrul, holding his vibroscythe aloft. Vicrul examined the opposing hallways his brothers had just appeared from.

"She has changed the temple around us. There's only one way to access the core room now."

"Where? Where is it Vicrul?" Ap'lek asks eagerly.

Vicrul points with a gloved finger ahead at three tall doorways. The three warriors cross the threshold into a familiar atrium. Large pillars stretch up the walls and interlink across the impressively high ceiling. To their right, the afternoon sunlight of Othkore parts through six tall windows, the Final Order Fortress visible beyond, the sound of blaster-fire muted somewhat through the magnetic shielding. But the sight the three brothers crave lies at the opposite end of the room. Up several large steps of stone, with cracks showing the glowing yellow-green crystal veins, stands the handsome statue of stone. Surrounded by glowing patterns and glyphs, her detail less face is lowered, her arms parted, her chest bare, and inside - a lightsaber, glowing in the heat of molten fire far below them. Vicrul sneers from beneath his mask.

"That's it."

The Knights of Ren aren't ones to pause on ceremony. All three of them lurch forward, Ap'lek fumbling beneath his damp coat to retrieve the red, cracked crystal he'd ripped from Kylo Ren's lightsaber not hours earlier. He grips it tight in his hand, tasting victory, but a loud rumble answers their advance. Even as their boots pound across it, the floor begins to move. A grinding sound, like a mortar meeting pestle, is deafening to their ears. The three warriors stagger backwards as they watch the steps of stone rise, the statue elevating higher up the far wall as it is lifted out of their reach. The crystal veins before them are exposed further as the stone bricks shy away from them, placing the statue out of their reach. A circle of glyphs glows on the floor before the statue, and the stone bricks morph to form a staircase digging into the rock to a room below, and out steps a triumphant Jedi.

" _You!"_ Hisses Vicrul at the sight of Rey.

Rey smiles a confident, perky smile. Her loose hair catches on the heated air below her, the molten glow casting her in extreme light. She sheds her cloak, preferring the movement allowed by her light sleeves and flowing tunic. A defiant glint sparkles in her brown eyes as she watches the Knights of Ren below her.

Ushar swings his warclub onto his shoulder, ready. Vicrul aims his vibroscythe aggressively and Ap'lek hides the crystal in his right hand, holding his axe in his left. A welcome mechanical laugh greets them as Trudgen, Kuruk and Cardo join them from the rear. Two bombs spark in Cardo's hands, which itch to pay Rey back for the injuries he suffers from. Kuruk loads explosive rounds into his rifle, and Trudgen vibroclever scrapes across the floor behind him. The Knights of Ren are ready to kill. Over-confident and gleeful, Ap'lek encroaches.

"Step aside, Jedi," he shouts at Rey. "You cannot halt fate!"

"You're right," retorts Rey, overflowing with tenacity at the challenge before her. "And neither can you. The Force is with _**me**_."

Behind Rey, in the heart of the statue, hovers her Jedi weapon. Deep down she yearns to put the shimmering blade between herself and the Knights of Ren, but she has to find a new way. She stands atop an elevated plinth, the statue just behind her. Descending a few feet and across the room are her six armoured foes. As they surge forwards, planning to overwhelm her, she calms the race of thoughts in her mind. She crouches down, places her palms onto the crystal veins before her, and pours her desire into the Force. The crystal veins pulses like synapses, and the room bends to her will.

Below; Ap'lek, Ushar, and Vicrul gain ground as they climb the stone steps towards Rey, but their relatively easy ascent vanishes. The large slab Ushar stands on suddenly pulls itself from beneath his feet, sending him flying into Trudgen. Ap'lek dodges and weaves, but a brick moves aside and his foot falls through the floor, where he's trapped. Kuruk unleashes a barrage of blaster bolts, only for a stone shield to shoot up to protect Rey at the last moment. Cardo and Vicrul are thrown backwards by a telepathetic blast in the Force, skidding into loose rock and debris. The Knights of Ren do not just fight Rey, they're fighting the very temple itself.

Sweat drips from Rey's face as she fights to keep her concentration intact, it takes all she has to subdue such nimble warriors. But she _must_ keep up. The outcome of the prophecy depends on it.

* * *

The sound of blaster fire rings high as a wounded Finn and his rescuer dash down a tall corridor of the Final Order Fortress.

"How do you know where we're going?!" Calls Tunine as she returns fire at their Stormtrooper pursuers. But Finn looks with more than just his eyes.

"It's an instinct. A feeling. More than that..."

Finn's heart swells as he nears the person he can sense through the Force. He holsters his blaster and turns a corner, opening his arms and calling his friends name.

"Rose!"

"FINN!"

He had never seen the short technician run so fast. She dives into his chest and wraps her arms tight around him, the tears coming thick and fast. Finn kisses his friend on the head as she cries.

"We could hear you, on the broadcast-" she says between sobs. "I'm so sorry, I-"

But Rose's needless apology is drowned by the mass of arms and faces that surround them both, all reaching to hug Finn. A single tear wells in Jaytu's brown eyes. Huf apologises over and over, whilst Leven ruffles Finn's hair.

"We thought we'd lost you," murmurs Jaytu.

"Well, you got me back!" Finn says through a huge grin.

"Is this really the time?!" Barks Tunine at the happy group, as she rounds the corner with blaster bolts just skimming the wall that shields them. Finn admits to himself that she's right. He taps her shoulder with his fist.

"This is Tunine everybody!" Then he pries Rose from his chest. "What's the plan Rose?"

Rose wipes the tears from her face and suddenly looks maliciously determined. "Follow me!"

Just below them, Poe is having his own problems. The Resistance is shrinking rapidly, and the K-8IX Conformity Droids are proving a problem for the stun tactics. Poe grows tired of their protection to stun blasts, switches his blaster settings, and headshots an advancing droid. It falls to the ground with a ' _CLUNK!'_

"Don't waste your stuns on droids!" He calls to his forces. "Come on Rose, where-"

But a noise to his right answers him. Either side of the battlefield, the Resistance pushes to take the twin stairways that lead up to the senior command tower above, and reinforcements being pumped in through blast doors at the bottom of the staircases are proving difficult to overcome. From behind a barricade, Poe watches as the gaggle of Stormtroopers to his right are ambushed by stun fire from behind, and he sees a face emerge that makes his heart leap out of his chest. He dashes from his barricade, dodging enemy blaster fire and the bodies of stunned Stormtroopers to throw his arms around the one man he desired to see again.

" _FINN!"_

Finn practically lifts Poe off the ground as they pull each other close. When they break apart, Poe pulls the familiar leather vest from his shoulders and returns it to Finn, a look of flush anger across his face as he straightens the garment tightly.

"That's for almost throwing your life away! Don't you ever do that to me _AGAIN!"_

Rose, Jaytu, Tunine, and the infiltration team look worried at this outburst. Finn looks slightly reproachful, but can see Poe is only half serious.

"Well I'm back now, _General._ " They both share a look of genuine longing, before Finn clears his throat.

"What's the plan?"

Poe nods, slapping Finn on the shoulder excitedly and peaks round the corner of the blast door, pointing.

"Hux and his lackeys are up there, but there aren't enough of us to storm this place."

"That's where you come in!" Pipes up Rose excitedly.

Finn looks at her, confused, then to all the determined faces of Jaytu, Poe, and the entire group.

"Me?" He asks, nonplussed. "What can I do?"

But before any of his friends can open their mouths, the newcomer speaks up.

"What you said to Hux," begins Tunine, finding the words as she goes. "About them using us, about Reconditioning… you were right."

Understanding dawns on Finn. "The uprising?"

Poe nods. "Your new friend here is right, only _you_ can do it. Only you can get these people to see the truth."

Finn stares at Poe with a whole new understanding and appreciation. He finally sees what Finn has wanted him to see. But Tunine has more to say.

"That might be more difficult," she begins reproachfully. "Hux has some kind of personal device that can cause us pain, makes it hard to think inside your helmet. That's why I left mine behind."

Finn's usual kind and welcoming face suddenly knots in deep resentment and anger. Rose feels his contempt too, but her study of the detailed holos of Othkore aid her yet again.

"I think I know where we can override both that and Hux's broadcast; the Supreme Leader's throne in the _war room!"_ She says, confidently. "We'll have to be quick though."

"Right," Poe is back to being the leader of the Resistance. "Rose, Jaytu. Get Finn to this war room and get his voice heard, we need all the help we can get if we're to overwhelm their defences."

He prods a finger into Tunine's chest, who becomes anxious.

"You," he says, a look of utter seriousness challenging her. "Thank-you so much for your bravery, but I need you to look out for Finn again. Can you do that?"

Tunine responds in the only way she knows how.

" _Yes, sir!"_

"Right! The rest of you, with me!"

The remainders of the infiltration team roar with approval, upholstering their blaster and joining the firefight still raging behind Poe. Rose, Jaytu and Tunine prepare as well, but Poe notices something in Finn's eyes that kills victory, kills revolution, and can haunt a man forever. _Doubt_. Poe does the only thing he can; pulling the jacket he'd worn all the way through the battle, and returning it to Finn. The familiar feel of it's leather around his shoulders, Finn perks up.

"Thanks, Poe," he says earnestly, but Poe can still sense apprehension. "I just, don't know if I-"

But Poe Dameron has seen enough. He has witnessed Finn do such wonderful, courageous things and proven himself not only in his eyes but all of their allies and enemies. He'd challenged his friends for good reason, and they stand here, now, driven by his voice and sacrifice. The fact Finn can't comprehend his own greatness, his own success, angers Poe so much his discipline slips for a moment. And he does the one thing that will both shock Finn and reveal just how Poe feels about him.

Poe grabs Finn's face in his hands and kisses him.

He holds for just as long as he will give himself, before breaking away. Finn looks completely stunned for a moment, then sheer joy breaks across his face. Just behind him, Poe can see Rose practically vibrating with awe. But Poe ignores this, and with his heart beating fast, he tells Finn exactly what he needs to hear.

"You can do this," he holds Finn's head close, their foreheads almost touching. "I believe in _you_."

Finn is speechless for once, studying every facet of Poe's face. He nods, a flame of hope igniting in his chest. Poe finally releases him.

"Now go!"

Finn turns without a second glance, joining Jaytu, Tunine and Rose as they dash up towards the war room. Poe moves to rejoin his forces in the push to take the senior command tower, hoping with all his heart and soul he will see Finn again.

And as Finn runs through the corridors of the Final Order Fortress, dodging patrols and sneaking up corridors, he thinks of nothing but Poe. Of the man who believed in him from the beginning. Of the man who put clothes on his back. Of the man who was among the first to speak for his character rather than his ability to kill. Finn's cheeks hurt from smiling, and he realises that all the support and approval the Resistance can offer wouldn't have measured up to what he's just been given. In a silent prayer, Finn thanks the Force for bringing him and Poe together.

"It's through here," whispers Rose.

She pokes her head around the corner of the walkway whilst Finn, Jaytu and Tunine pause. Beyond, two pairs of Stormtroopers patrol the hallway, and the tall door to the war room.

"You take them two out," suggests Tunine, indicating the furthest guards to Rose and Jaytu. "I'll take the ones coming at us."

Finn begins to speak up but all three silence him. They push their backs against the walkway wall and await the approaching guards. The two armoured Stormtroopers turn towards them, and see Tunine first.

"Hey w-"

Neither of them get a word out before Tunine hits one with a stun blast from her pistol, and shoves one guard into the other. Rose and Jaytu dash out into the wide corridor, closing in on their targets, and drop them with two well aimed stun bolts. Tunine straightens up.

"Should I remove their helmets?" She asks, tentatively. Finn shakes his head.

"If this throne does what Rose says it can, we won't need to."

The two of them approach as Jaytu holds her blaster rifle aloft, Rose slicing away at the door controls.

"The codes are a day old, but-"

The tall durasteel doors retreat into the wall, and the four infiltrators enter the war room; rectangular and high ceilinged with a thin holotable at its centre, surrounded by a number of empty chairs. The largest is just before them, more of a throne, slightly raised and with controls inlaid in the arms. The swirl of Othkore's dusty atmosphere beat against the tall windows opposite them in a constant storm.

"Walk me through this, Rose," mutters Finn as she beckons him to sit in the throne.

Its tall and sharp design is ill-fighting for him, but he makes himself comfortable all the same. Rose frets over the arm controls with her ring of slicing keys, whilst Jaytu and Tunine cover the entrance. Rose flashes Finn a slightly malicious little grin.

"The 'Grand Admiral' has reverse engineered my jammer to work for him, but we'll use that against him." She tinkers with the controls as she speaks to Finn.

"This throne is the only other place with that kind of access, and if we use my signal, he can't."

Rose finishes her alterations of the throne controls, flipping a metal cover back over the circuitry.

"Right! Done! We'll be broadcasting in about ten seconds."

Beads of sweat appear on Finn's temple, as his eyes dart from side to side uncomfortably. He rubs the back of his neck.

"Just a few seconds to think of what to say to save everyone then..." mutters Finn.

Rose places a small hand on his large one, gripping it tight, and flashing him a self-assured smile.

"Remember what Poe said. I believe in you too, Finn."

Finn nods at her, fighting back the impulse to pull her into another hug. "Well I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you. Thanks for saving me, twice."

Rose's cheeks squish as she smiles. She indicates a countdown with her fingers, then the holorecievers in the chair activate, and Finn's face is broadcast into every Final Order frequency available.

"Stormtroopers! This is Finn, of the Resistance."

All around the Final Order Fortress, Stormtroopers react to the voice emanating inside their helmets, looking to one another in confusion. Inside his defended tower, Hux whirls around to look upon a giant holoimage of Finn's face. His frustration almost dispels his tactical arrogance.

"Impossible! How are they doing this?" Demands Hux. "I want this transmission terminated now!"

"Grand Admiral!" Shouts General Engell over Finn's words. "They've infiltrated the war room! It's coming from the Supreme Leader's throne itself!"

Hux's frustration turns to horror as he realises he's been shut out of his own comm system. The only thing holding his soldiers in line now is fear.

"I was like you once," continues Finn earnestly. "Just a number. Eight-Seven to my squad. But everything, from my training, my armour, my name - it was all just a tool of the Final Order, of control. They've promised you the galaxy but who will win it for them? _You_ will. And who will enforce their rule whilst they enjoy the spoils? _You_ will. Because you are not soldiers to them - you are _weapons_. That's why you don't have a name - because weapons don't _need_ names _._ You were raised to do one thing, and you believe you don't have a choice…"

Pain and frustration permeates Finn's face, but he pushes on.

"I'm here to tell you that you do. There's always a choice. You don't have to kill for them, for captains and officers who don't know your name. You can do anything you want; run, escape, fight, live. The only thing keeping you in line is your _fear_. Don't fear these _cowards!_ You outnumber them a hundred to one! Throw away your helmet, deny them that control over you! In my first battle I made my first real choice; I will never kill for them again. Now I'm here making another one: the people who treated me this way _do not deserve to do as they please!"_

In the atmosphere around Othkore, the squadron of TIE Daggers who fled earlier slow down. Aimless and without masters, they cannot go back. But the face and voice that speaks to them over comms gives them a second option. Three officers at the trooper barracks on Canto Bight panic as they try to cut the transmission, but already Scout Troopers and TIE Pilots have heard Finn's words, exchanging knowing looks.

"Because they _DON'T CARE!"_ Finn yells across hundreds of worlds. "THEY WILL TORTURE AND SHOOT YOU THE MOMENT YOU BECOME USELESS TO THEM, THEY WILL GIVE YOU NOTHING! BUT WE ARE NOT USELESS! WE MAKE OUR OWN DECISIONS!"

Tears stream down Finn's cheeks as he remembers the years of being neglected, of being ashamed of showing his face, his humanity. The same anguish is felt in the cockpits of TIE Daggers circling Cloud City, of the seventy rundown Stormtroopers who watch Finn's message in their Coruscant garrison, their officers now wary, and finally those on Othkore. Most have only seen simulations, forced to see their enemies as just numbers too. Through the Force, Finn can feel his pain mirrored across the stars. But he won't leave them to suffer.

"THROW AWAY YOUR HELMET, YOUR NUMBER, YOU DON'T NEED IT, YOU NEVER DID! AND IF YOU ARE ANGRY LIKE I AM, OUTRAGED AT BEING TREATED LIKE YOU'RE NOTHING, FEEL THE PAIN OF BEING TREATED AS WORTHLESS, AS WEAPONS, THEN STAND! STAND WITH THE RESISTANCE ON OTHKORE, RIGHT NOW! YOU WERE NEVER NOTHING, THAT WAS ANOTHER OF THEIR LIES! TOGETHER, WE CAN TAKE THAT AWAY FROM THEM. NO MORE NUMBERS. NO MORE RECONDITIONING. NO MORE STORMTROOPERS! NEVER AGAIN!"

It begins slowly at first. A refused order, a hesitation. But soon the dominoes begin to fall. Within moments, the barracks on Canto Bight explode into a firefight. The fleeing squadron of TIE Daggers fleeing Othkore slowly, one by one, turn back. The skies of Cloud City are suddenly clear of patrols. The city of Canto Bight catches fire. Three officers lay dead as the metal grating of Coruscant Level 1212 reverberates with the sounds of rushing Stormtroopers, and the clang of discarded helmets. The spark catches, and fire burns throughout the galaxy.

"It's not working Grand Admiral!" Yells a petty officer.

The senior command tower is raught with chaos. Stormtroopers quiver and shake as they're controlled by a sonic signal emanating from Hux's wrist, the K-8IX Conformity Droids leering over them. But Hux ignores the dozen or so Stormtroopers in his vicinity, instead focusing on a much bigger problem.

"EXPLAIN!" He demands, spit flying from his mouth. "EXPLAIN WHY WE CAN'T STOP THIS TRANSMISSION!"

The petty officer looks terrified as she scrambles over her comm controls. "Th-the pirate slicing signal we reverse-engineered is being used." She splutters. "Whilst it's active, we can't broadcast your signal, Grand Admiral. We can't even relay orders to our garrison fighting down there!"

Hux turns his anxious gaze around the room. All Stormtroopers around him are under his control, and he doesn't have the conventional means to broadcast his own method of conformity over comms. He sneers to himself, he is worrying too much. All those years under his father have taught him one thing; never underestimate fear.

"It matters not!" He retorts with false confidence. "My men are exceptionally trained, programmed from birth." He approaches the viewport again to bare witness to the battle for the staircases below. "They will not fall to such-"

But what Hux sees shocks him to his core.

The blaster fire has stopped.

Poe Dameron, bruised and bleeding, pokes his head over a pile of debris. He doesn't look into the multiple blank masks of Stormtrooper helmets. Instead, his eyes are met by the gaze of so many different faces. Brown eyes, green eyes, dark hair, curly hair, bald, buzzed, scarred. So many look back at him with determination, anguish, sadness, drive. They have all been touched by Finn's words. Poe knows this when he realises the only sound he hears is the clatter of helmets as they hit the floor.

Finn holds his head in his hands. Years of repressed sadness and rage have worn him, and he feels as though he's aged several years. His cry for solidarity took strength he didn't know he had, but it is done. Rose, Jaytu and Tunine stare at him in awe. It's silent in the war room, apart from Finn's heaving breaths. Then, a chime sounds from Rose's commlink.

"Finn? Buddy, you there?"

Finn looks up, dazed. "Yeah?"

"Get down here, now. It worked. It worked!"

Shock and relief floods Finn's body. He looks at Rose, whose eyes are fresh with tears of sorrow and grief for her friend.

"I'm looping your broadcast," she says quietly. "Along with the coordinates for Othkore. Hux won't be able to get through now."

Finn nods. Jaytu and Tunine pull him to his feet, but their expressions are different. A mix of sympathy, anguish, and triumph. The four of them arm themselves and rush towards the exit, down the corridors and turbolifts, facing no guards. As they approach the blast doors they left behind not minutes before, some Stormtroopers are still out cold, whilst dotted around are discarded helmets. Finn's heart leaps. When he enters the courtyard of the senior command tower, he has no words for what he sees.

A huge force advancing up the staircases towards the tower. The soldiers are all mismatched, with the yellow, brown, orange and green of the Resistance uniform mixed in with the bright scarlet of Stormtrooper armour. Finn can see Resistance soldiers and Stormtroopers alike, fighting side by side. If there are any Stormtrooper loyalists Finn didn't spot them, as only a legion of K-8IX Conformity Droids hold firm at the blast doors of the command tower, their tall stature and heavy blaster rifles proving threatening for even such a magnificent force as this. Finn dashes across the almost empty courtyard to join the front lines, and he's immediately noticed. Helmetless Stormtroopers turn in shock when they recognize him.

"It's _the_ Finn!-"

"-FN-2187! I heard rumors for so long-"

"-We're with you til the-"

"-Did you really kill Phasma?! I-"

The chorus of voices overwhelm Finn is he is hounded from every angle. He is speechless. Rose congratulates her new allies, whilst Jaytu and Tunine try to give answers of their own. From the front line, Poe pauses between a volley of blaster fire to watch his new allies recognise a legendary hero. As Poe watches Finn's face light up with happiness, he feels as though he is floating.

"Colonel!" He calls to Finn over the din of the battlefield. "Let's do this!"

Finn sets yearnful eyes upon Poe and nods.

"Resistance!" Finn yells triumphantly. "With me! Seize the tower! Let's take these cowards down for good!"

A cheer goes up from over four hundred Stormtroopers and Resistance allies. Blaster bolts scar and burn the armour of the droids standing between them and their goal. From General Poe Dameron to the youngest Stormtrooper recruit, in that moment, every single person fighting for the Resistance can taste victory.

* * *

Through the Force, Rey hears Finn's words. She can feel the pain he has hidden for so long, and the strength it takes for him to release it. Though Rey is proud of his words, and the effect it has on the battle below, there is only one feeling that fills her mind; _relief_. Her friend is safe. Things are looking up for them.

But Rey's concentration doesn't waver. Still she commands the core room of the temple to alter at her behest. Still she forces these formidable warriors back, her control and finesse increasing. Still the barrier between her and the temple weakens, as her reactions become that of moving stone and levitating rock, attacking an outraged Trudgen and defending her from the blaster bolts and bombs of Cardo and Kuruk. For Rey's ally is the Force.

Unfortunately, the Knights of Ren have each other.

As Ushar falls prey to yet another telepathic blast, Ap'lek uses him as a fleshy springboard to leap high into the air. Before Rey can react, Vicrul does the same by hiding in the shadow of Cardo, dashing swiftly between the barrage of loose rocks that meet him. Rey forces the other four warriors back with another blast in the Force, but the cunning pair approach her now, ready. She braces for an attack, lifting rocks and debris into the air with pure thought, but Vicrul ducks, and Ap'lek targets not her but the statue behind. Panic surges through Rey - _the prophecy!_

The rocks drop from the air and Rey calls her weapon. The light of the yellow-green blade fills the space as it sweeps through the air in a commanding arc. The blade rips through Vicrul's vibroscythe and shoulder, and darts towards Ap'lek, who has ample time to roll backwards down the stairs and avoid it. Vicrul staggers backwards too, but retrieves a vibroknife from his jacket and points it at Rey, determined.

Without it's crystal power source, the power of the ancient temple begins to fade, slowly. The walls shudder, kicking up dust, and the magnetic shield begins to weaken. A gust of wind blasts through the high windows to Rey's left, carrying in the red sand from Othkore's surface. Rey had no choice but to call her lightsaber to her, not wanting to risk any of them getting close. But Ap'lek knows this too. Without the aid of the temple to stall them, the other four Knights ascend the steps. Rey holds her saber firmly but the six brothers surround the stairs below her. Even from a few metres away, she can hear them whisper in the language she doesn't recognise.

" _Mes niant sis nuriga, kia tave ren,"_

The mechanical voices and faceless helms make a terrifying chorus. All six of them stand level, weapons raised, chanting together.

" _kia tave jen'- garthaz, kia tave hadzuska,"_

They watch fear and panic colour the edges of their foe's emotions, tasting their kill.

" _kia tave jena'tes is visa zveris."_

But Rey is no longer ruled by fear, by naive deception. As the temple slowly loses altitude, Rey knows this was always going to be the outcome. Faced by her chanting, intimidating foes; Rey smiles. Though her back is against the wall, she has all she needs to truly defeat them.

* * *

"Grand Admiral, our forces are being overwhelmed!"

"-can't reach the garrison, they're not responding!"

"We've lost the courtyard-"

"They're closing in on the blast doors, we're losing droids Grand Admiral! Stormtroopers and Resistance both, the stairs are almost lost!"

Voices of panicked officers fill the senior command tower. Armitage Hux feels as though his brain is being cooked inside his skull. Veins bulge uncomfortably in his temple as his head reacts to a lifetime's worth of stress. And he reaches his limit.

" _SHUT UP!"_ He screams. " _WILL YOU ALL JUST SHUT-UP!"_

Silence. The only sound is the ringing of his wrist-mounted device, and the clicking of Stormtrooper armour as the forty or so guarding the room struggle against its power. They're frozen in place, paralyzed into servitude. Hux's breath comes in heaves, gritting his teeth against a sharp headache as he tries to think.

"General Engell," begins Hux in a voice trembling with frustration. "Mobilize all Stormtroopers and Conformity Droids in this room. They will bolster our defences."

Engell looks from her fellow Generals to Hux in astonishment.

"But, Grand Admiral, they have more-"

" _DON'T!"_

Hux raises a single gloved finger, silencing Engell.

"I...am well aware… of what I am doing. They will cover the doors against insurgents, they will lay down their lives for the Final Order. They will do what they were raised to do. Get it done."

Engell does as ordered. The remaining Conformity Droids march alongside the forced Stormtroopers as they line up against the blast doors, unable to resist. Some of their hands shake as they hold their blasters aloft. Hux pays them no mind, glad only that they are still under his control. It's all under his control. The blast doors open and the sounds of the clash outside is loud and chaotic. The droids and troopers surge out onto the battlefront, leaving behind few remaining troopers until there's only a handful still present to protect the senior staff.

"What next, Grand Admiral?" Asks Admiral Griss, barely withholding his disdain. "What do we do now we are outmatched _and_ outnumbered?"

Hux turns to survey the room. His face is tort in a horrific smile, the vessels in his eyes red and ready to pop.

"Bring up a holo of the battlefield, Lieutenant Quonit,"

The command tower, outer gate and courtyard appear before Hux in holoimage form. The gate is still half shut, with over four hundred enemy soldiers storming up the split staircases. They are nearly at the door.

"What do we do, Grand Admiral?" Asks young Quonit in a small, desperate voice. Hux can smell defeat poisoning the young officer's mind, but not for long. Hux's eyebrows disappear up his forehead as he is barely able to suppress a mask of madness.

"Prepare 'Contingency Kull', Lieutenant."

The colour drains from Quonit's face. He hovers a hand over a button to the fortress' controls, terrified.

"R-ready, Grand Admiral."

"Hold on a minute," interrupts Admiral Griss, looking around at his fellow Generals in shock. "What is the 'Contingency'? What-"

But Hux's eyes bulge wide, ignoring Griss.

" _Arm_ , Lieutenant."

Quonit activates his control panel. On the holo and outside, hundreds of anti-vehicle turrets suddenly appear from shielded mounts atop the fortress' outer wall. Instead of turning outward to search for enemy starfighters, they turn inward.

"Grand Admiral, what about our own troops?!" Screeches General Engell.

"YOU CAN'T!" Yells Admiral Griss over the still whirring sound of Hux's sonic device. "YOU'VE SENT OUR TROOPERS OUT THERE TOO! YOU CAN'T-"

But Admiral Griss never speaks again. Two blaster bolts hit him, one in the chest and one in the neck, as he lurches towards Quonit's hand on the controls. With a gasp of air and a gurgle of blood, he stares horrified at the cowardly maniac he allowed to squirm through the Final Order's ranks. The nozzle of Hux's SE-44C blaster pistol still smokes as he returns it neatly to his belt, his admiral parade uniform still pristine. His gaze moves over the body of Griss to Quonit's terrified expression.

" _Fire."_

Just outside the blast doors, Poe and Finn are making ground on the frontlines.

"Stun the troopers, destroy the droids!" Calls back Finn as he adjusts his tactics for the situation at hand. But the setting sun of Othkore picks out something that makes his heart stop.

"Poe!" He points to the peak of the fortress wall. "What is-?!"

But Poe has no time to explain.

"Hux has gone _mad!"_ He yells. "Take cover! Wall turr-"

The mounted blasters of the fortress wall fire inwards in unison. They aren't made to target enemy soldiers, so their blasts are random without guidance, but their radius is huge. An entire squad of Resistance and ex-Stormtroopers meet their end as an ion missile detonates the hastily made barricade they cower behind. Several others destroy a large portion of the outer staircase, Colonel Terez retreating her back against the wall, watching as her soldiers are slain. Snap Wexley is knocked backwards, his ears ringing as several volleys hit the wall he is using for cover. The explosion catches some of Hux's personal garrison guarding the blast doors, whose muscles twitch from the sonic transmission affecting their helmets. Even as fire and ion energy sweeps towards them, they are unable to react and are engulfed, screaming.

Poe cannot hear anything. The multiple explosions have blown one of his eardrums. He squints around, in the fire, sparks, debris, smoke, and sees a familiar hand. He dives for Finn and shields him with his body, holding him close, summoning his remaining strength. All thoughts of the battle slip away, and Poe only prays for survival.


	11. Part III - The Heir to Victory

A flurry of bodies and blades clash before the empty temple statue as the servants of the Ren attempt to kill their greatest foe.

Rey fights as a swordswoman whose very heart is ablaze, her saber blade in constant motion. She deflects the vibrocleaver of Trudgen, slicing it in half as he staggers backwards. A touch of her hand and the nudge of the Force send Kuruk to the ground, his body limp as he's forced to sleep, blaster rifle clattering away down the stone steps. One down. A vengeful Cardo draws a blaster pistol and unleashes a flurry of shots at the Jedi, which she furiously deflects at an advancing Vicrul, who screams as the flesh on his arm erupts in sparks. Two down. Cardo is thrown backwards, tumbling down the steps and out of sight. Three down. Rey ducks beneath Trudgen's maddened fists, and stabs him in the shoulder, burning his skin badly. Four down. Ushar's warclub strikes but air, before an explosive charge in it's tip staggers Rey. Before he can follow-up by crushing her skull, she sows her blade beneath his guard, severing the weapon into three pieces before blasting him towards Ap'lek. Five down. Ap'lek takes his brother's hand and tries to pull him up, but he's still dazed. Rey points her lightsaber at Ap'lek, the last Knight standing.

The Knights of Ren outnumber their foe but they are grievously outmatched. Rey's hair is wet with sweat, her eyes darting from one groaning downed warrior to the other as she denies them ground, bullying them away from the statue.

But the dark warriors do not have time to waste. The windows to their right shows the fortress slowly draw closer, the energy that keeps the temple afloat slowly depleting. Rey moves unladen by exhaustion or burden, her breathing deep and calm. She makes her single blade seem like many, and her command of the Force has knocked two of them unconscious. They cannot beat her by brute force. They will have to rely on their cunning.

A crawling Trudgen throws the shredded half of his vibroclever at Rey, who acutely dodges. Ap'lek charges with a yell and swings his executioner's axe in a long arc, aiming to cut Rey's body in two. She's too quick and side steps the curved blade, but Ap'lek is as devious as ever. The path ahead temporarily undefended, he makes a dash for the statue which is metres away, leaving his brothers behind. Rey's reflexes are sharper than ever, and she angles underneath his swing, bringing her saber up to slice the handle of his axe in two, halting his advance.

He tumbles hard into the floor, face first, and his helmet becomes dislodged. Rey ignores the matted long hair that appears, instead grabbing his wrist and forcing his hand open to grab the splintered crystal from his grasp. Without it, they cannot hope to fulfil the prophecy. But it's not there. His broken, maniacal cackle sounds as a sudden rumbling behind her answers the question on her lips.

Rey whirls around to affix her eyes on Ushar, who feigned injury whilst she floored Ap'lek. His brothers beaten and broken, he stands determined, his crude mask showing no emotion as he places the scarlet crystal inside the altar of the statue. His metal hand glows from the heat of the lava inside as the temple accepts it's new power source.

The effect is immediate.

The temple shudders violently. The crystal veins pulse scarlet. The glyphs and patterns decorate the walls now glow, as though vessels of blood. But it's worse. An echoing sound fills Rey's ears, from deep within the temple, and she feels it in the Force too. It is crying out, screaming like a living being whilst it is corrupted. Beneath her, a grounded Ap'lek begins to laugh maniacally. Rey holds him down, her blade pointed at Ushar, who outstretches an ungloved and bleeding hand towards Ap'lek.

"Come, Ap'lek."

Rey forces Ap'lek to the ground, determined not to let him go. This is all wrong, she can't let them, not yet. The temple shudders and screams around her. Ap'lek struggles, his helmet slipping back on and his mechanical voice returning, filled with passionate excitement.

"Soon, all will know their true nature!"

His expressionless helmet gazes up at Rey.

"Soon, the shadow of the Ren will shroud the galaxy!"

Despite Ap'lek words and the desperation of her situation, there is something that keeps Rey's heart ablaze. That keeps her from losing all hope, from letting her strength ebb away. It isn't the Force, that obeys her influence and fills her with energy, it is something far more powerful. Through it, she can see more than the Knights of Ren. Through somebody else's eyes, into a room. And what she sees brings a wide, genuine smile to her dirty and sweaty face.

The room is Rey's personal quarters. Her sleeping mat, her books, her tools. The crystal veins in the stone walls glow red, explosions and blaster fire can be heard faintly in the distance. Rey's net of junk parts is propped up, the remains of BB-8 inside with his small head protruding from the top. Somebody has been working on repairing him. A pair of hands cross wires inside his broken body, and a spark ignites. Suddenly his lights power on, and his eye glows. The damaged droid blinks drously, looking around for Rey, and whistles in surprise at who he sees instead.

"So, you're the droid?" Greets a familiar voice.

BB-8 exclaims a series of beeps, interrogating the stranger.

"She told me about you, some time ago..."

There's a pause as BB-8 swivels his head, utterly confused.

"Will you help me find her?"

* * *

"Razor Squadron. Comet Squadron. Can you hear me?"

Finn's ears are ringing as he holds his hands over his head. Poe still shields him with his own body, but Finn can barely make him out from the dust and smoke. Poe yells desperately into his commlink.

"Razor Squadron. Comet Squadron. Deploy, we need you. These cannons are taking us out. We need you!"

Finn can just hear the response, scratchy and distorted.

"We -can't get -close, Poe!"

Captain C'ai of Comet Squadron sounds desperate. "There's too many to get close!"

Poe sinks lower. Whether he's injured or exhausted, Finn doesn't know. He pulls Poe up, leaning both of their back against the wall. The sounds of cannon fire still sound around them. Finn can see Resistance and Stormtroopers alike, either strewn across the battlefield or huddling together, protected from the rain of turret fire like he and Poe. Hux would rather sacrifice his own soldiers than lose them. Finn grits his teeth as a deep hatred for the man festers in his stomach. Jaytu and Rose have dragged and injured Tunine behind an overturned crate, but they are too far away to get to.

Finn keeps searching for help. He squints through the smoke high up to the peak of the far outer wall. Several turret launchers swivelled to fire ion missiles down at them, and outwards at the criss crossing A-Wings and X-Wings of their remaining squadrons, fighting a losing battle to get close. They're trapped. Finn looks beyond the wall, to the ancient temple. But his anger at Hux is replaced with sheer horror. The temple has begun to tip on it's side, the patterns and glyphs adorning its walls pulsing an angry red. Finn doesn't need to reach out with the Force to know that Rey is in danger too. It's too much. Finn can't think straight. He can only hold Poe, and hope. The chatter over fleet comms is unbearable as the fighters desperately try to get close, but it's a losing battle. Finn shuts his eyes.

"-need help here I'm hit-"

"-going down-"

"-I'm close, I'm AAARGH!-"

"-Is that the _Falcon?_ And who-"

Finn's eyes snap open. He looks to Poe who had just heard the same thing, proving Finn isn't deluding himself. Then a voice answers.

"Finn? Are you there?"

Poe is speechless. Finn lifts his commlink to his face, relief breaking across it.

"Leia! We could use some help down here!"

"Yes, I can see that," replies Leia, slightly scornful. "Reinforcements are here."

Finn and Poe look at each other through the smoke, confused. Comet and Razor Squadron still dodge and weave turret fire above them, unable to get close; no visible sign of the distinctive hull of the _Millennium_ _Falcon_ among them.

"You brought reinforcements?"

"They're following my signal, but I did not bring them." There is a hint of satisfaction in Leia's voice. " _You_ did."

Before Finn can question further, a flurry of voices comms over their radio, every Resistance channel. Excited voices, shouting for their moment.

"-is that _the_ Finn?-"

"-we heard what you said about Hu-"

"-stole a ship to be here!-"

"-with you Finn-"

"-name's Sevens, proud to join the Resis-"

"-what she said! Let's bring these cowards-"

Finn can barely believe what he is hearing. Then he notices something more - the roar of hundreds of twin ion engines, the recognizable scream of a fleet of TIE Daggers. Finn stares beyond the peak of the temple into the sky of Othkore, and what he sees will forever become a cherished memory:

The _Millennium Falcon_ \- still beat and bruised - shooting towards them, surrounded by so many starfighters they appear as an amorphous swarm. The triangular fins of the TIE Daggers hurtle through the air, their distinct markings showing many from different fleets, garrisons and corners of the galaxy. Next to Finn, Poe stares in utter disbelief, his mouth open.

"I can't believe it. Finn, you did it." Then hysteria takes him, he grabs Finn by the shoulders and cheers into the smokey air. "FINN YOU DID IT!"

Tears come to Finn's eyes as he realises that every single one of these Stormtroopers and pilots are here because they heard him. Across the stars, they _heard him._

"-re here to fight for Finn! Never again! Nev-"

"-is he there? What are our orders?-"

"-you better tell them something Finn! I'm not a general anymore-" Says Leia.

"Right!" Finn yells into his commlink, a winning smile across his face as his heart sings. He hesitates. What does he even call them? Suddenly, an old call sign comes to him. It seems appropriate.

" _Rogue Squadron!_ This is Colonel Finn, of the Resistance ground forces! Form up fast and take out those fortress defences, now!"

The new fleet of TIE Daggers respond in unison to Finn in the only respectful way they know:

" _YES COLONEL!"_

* * *

Ushar's prosthetic hand holds the cracked crystal in the statue's open heart, the glowing veins across the floor pulsing like curdling blood. The temple rumbles and groans, a sound akin to screams reverberating through its halls and corridors. His left hand is bare, the cut across his palm dribbling blood. He outstretches it towards Ap'lek, barely six metres away. For when Ap'lek joins bloody hands with Ushar, they will summon the Oracle, and fulfil the prophecy.

Behind Ap'lek, a few of his brothers pull themselves to their feet. Trudgen props himself up on the handle of his slashed weapon. Vicrul's left hand hangs uselessly by his side, but in the other protrudes a curved vibroknife. Kuruk shakes the fog of artificial drowsiness and picks up his blaster rifle. Two sparking bombs flare in Cardo's hands. The four brothers slowly ascend the stairs to the statue, focusing completely on the small stretch of space between Ap'lek and Ushar. Any moment now, the two brothers will seal their bonds in blood and become the prophesied ' _Heirs to Victory'._

But between them stands their last and most defining obstacle; Rey. The Jedi's shimmering yellow-green lightsaber blade keeps the slowly advancing warriors at bay. She can feel the flurry of extreme emotions churning inside each one of them. _Spite. Excitement. Vengeance._ She had seen the same in the eyes of Kylo Ren as he held his hand out to her, Snoke's throne room in flames around him. But her awareness penetrates deeper, to the foundation of each of the Knights of Ren, where she finds something familiar. A cold fear clasping their hearts, keeping this band of nobodies united, but continually divided. A sensation she fought with for as long as she can remember: _Loneliness._ And from this grows their desire to unleash vengeance upon the galaxy.

"You're wrong." She tells them, simply. "This isn't your true nature."

She realises her eerie kinship with these masked warriors is no coincidence, but there's one vital difference between them. She is more connected, through the Force, through her bonds than they have ever been. They don't just deny the truth, they run from it. Kuruk, Cardo, Trudgen and Vicrul come into view at the base of the stairs. Dust falls from the rumbling walls. Ap'lek, who edges ever closer, hisses at her.

"What do you know of us? Our ways?" His voice cracks with anger. "What _I've_ faced to get here!"

Rey lowers her weapon, and smiles at Ap'lek's expressionless helmet.

"You wear your pain like armour, but it still rules you. _Admit_ you're scared. _Admit_ you're alone. Face it."

Vicrul has heard enough, pointing his gnarled vibrodagger at Rey "Just words, _nobody!_ You dare to question our hon-"

"Oh I dare!" Rey interrupts, affixing Vicrul with a piercing stare. "I followed your rules: I faced my hidden truth. And I haven't let it rule me, define me. _I'm moving forward_. But _you-_ "

She lifts her lightsaber and points at Ushar behind her, then to the five warriors before her.

"You're just like I was; stuck in place, ashamed of who they are, looking for an easy escape. And you'd throw each other away for that chance."

She points to the red crystal in the heart of the statue, and she isn't just furious at them. She is furious at the Rey who'd run for so long, who'd clutched that doll so close, and pushed everyone away.

"You'd throw the entire galaxy away to escape, but there is no escape! You have to let it in, let it go, only then can you move forward - decide for yourselves!"

Her weapon at her side, she gestures to them with her free and injured hand.

"I see you for what you are. You're not brothers. You're just scared, alone. But no matter what's happened to you, face it, fight it. It's never too late."

And she has done so. For so long Rey has searched for an escape in others, in Han, in Luke, in Ben. She used up every opportunity of escape until she was left with no options but to face her denied past. Now she isn't running away, she can choose what to do with her gifts, her boundless compassion. The Force is with her, assuring her she has chosen well.

" _Lies!"_ Spits Ushar from behind her.

The truth of her words penetrates the harsh exteriors of the Knights of Ren, but they still cling desperately to their fantasy, of a galaxy punished for what it did to them. But Rey has more than just words on her side. She raises her hand, the cut on her palm from calling forth the Oracle still visible, and points beyond the Knights to the entrance of the atrium, opposite them. The presence there fills her with power beyond the Force itself, and she smiles wide.

"See for yourself."

Many of them ignore her obvious distraction, until Ushar looks over her shoulder.

" _Impossible..."_ He mutters.

The Knights of Ren turn to see the truth. Even as her temple screams around her, Rey's heart beats excitedly; she's not alone. In the gloom of the largest entrance to the atrium, the whistles and beeps of familiar droid can be heard. Then, the darkness is evaporated by the appearance of a shimmering blue blade, illuminating the figure who stands there. Ben Solo, bruised and grubby, fills the doorway. His thick cloak, gloves and tunic are gone - replaced by a cloth poncho, belt, and large junk net slung across his back.

The head of BB-8 bobs above his shoulder, his large eye stretching to see. Ben strides out of the doorway towards them, climbing the stairs with ease, Anakin's lightsaber hilt held in his hand. It sputters occasionally, only shoddily repaired, but the blue blade holds. His former followers stare in disbelief, but he has eyes only for Rey. Holding her gaze, he places his free hand behind his back and bows formally. The sarcastic little gesture almost makes Rey laugh, but quite the opposite reaction permeates the Knights of Ren.

" _Traitor!"_ Screams Ap'lek in a fit of rage.

Trudgen and Vicrul are already backing down the stairs, twirling the bladed weapons and preparing to cut their old master in two.

"You can call me 'Ben', Ap'lek." replies Ben, matter-of-factly.

He lifts the lightsaber aloft, and points it up at his former advisor.

"Now get away from Rey."

Over his shoulder, BB-8 ignites his shockprod menacingly, as if to say '...or else.'

But Ben's eyes still haven't left Rey's. He can tell the desperate situation they're in by the state of the grumbling, shuddering temple around him and the presence of Ushar at the temple's heart. They need to stop the Knights of Ren, but how? Isn't the prophecy inevitable? Even with five warriors standing between them, Rey and Ben's connection is stronger than ever. Rey can commune with Ben through their bond but there is no time. She can feel the growing explosion of violence about to break forth from the Knights of Ren, and she lifts her saber above her head, ready.

Ben searches her expression for answers, but she just beams at him. His very presence gives her strength beyond the Force, and she decides it's time. As he watches, she offers her free hand to him, as he once did in the throne room, long ago. But there is no burning vengeance in her eyes. They have both experienced such hardship since then, confronting ugly memories, emerging messy, bruised, but more complete. Ready. And she offers it all to him in one gesture. Her message to him is clear:

_Join me._

And Ben's body reacts. It will no longer tolerate being apart from her, and he bolts into danger to take her hand, finally. With a roar, Trudgen and Vicrul thunder down the stairs towards the redeemed Jedi, weapons raised. Ap'lek lifts the remnants of his axe high as Cardo launches a grenade and Kuruk points his rifle, all aiming to kill the Jedi standing between them and galactic destruction. But Rey will die before she lets them fulfil the prophecy. And with Ben here, Rey holds back no longer. The tide has truly turned.

* * *

" _AAAAARRRRRGGGH!"_

The senior command tower rumbles violently, at the mercy to a series of explosions. Grand Admiral Hux's cape floops over his red hair as he is thrown to the floor. He gets to his feet in a fit of rage and points beyond the viewport with a shaking hand.

" _QUONIT! BELLAVA! QUINN! ENGELL! EXPLAIN THIS IMMEDIATELY!"_

Before any of his remaining generals can answer, the sound of the _Millennium Falcon's_ engines roar above them, followed by the howl of TIE Daggers ripping through the air as they swoop down for another strafing run. The upper turrets protruding atop the outer wall burst into orange flames, incinerated by a torrent of laser fire. Inside the cockpit of the _Falcon,_ Baron Lando Calrissian clasps Chewie and Leia's shoulders.

"Hahahaahaa!" He yells in delight.

The Falcon climbs the skies of Othkore once more, the newly christened Rogue Squadron right on her, ready to swoop down and decimate more defences. Lando shakes Leia in delight.

"Now _this_ is just like old times!"

The bombardment of explosions left in their wake rings around the senior command tower. Grand Admiral Hux teeters like a statue made of glass. He's speechless. So many things he'd been blocking out suddenly hit him all at once. In the distance, the grounded _Finalizer_ smokes. The looming presence of the ancient temple blocks the rays of Othkore's setting sun. The once proud runways and gates of the Final Order Fortress are broken, blasted, smoking, and overcome by the enemy, who fester below like ants. But not just the enemy. Now waves upon waves of Conformity Droids are falling to Resistance and his own Stormtroopers alike, allied in their opposition of his organisation, his army, his success. Hux despises chaos. And right now, he is drowning in it.

But Amritage Hux was patient, he was careful, always had been. And though he has been living so many years in a version of his life where failure is impossible, preparing and achieving the unthinkable is how Hux had got to such a position in the first place. Hux loves his army like he'd loved Starkiller Base and many other weapons, but he will not live to see his magnificence of engineering and manipulation be turned against him.

His bloodshot eyes hover over the advancing throng of Resistance soldiers, blasting their way up the damaged staircases either side of him as legions of his Conformity Droids advance in menacing but depleting lines. His face drains of colour as he realises he has no other choice.

"Prepare the 'Final Contingency', Lieutenant."

Lieutenant Quonit stares at Hux with complete disgust. Though the young man fears for his life, even he does not have the apathetic detachment needed to complete such a command. The three remaining members of senior command look from Hux to Quonit in confusion.

"The ' _Final Contingency'?_ " Repeats General Bellava. "You can't mean..."

Lieutenant Quonit remains frozen, his pale lip trembling. General Engell drops her datapad.

"There… there has to be some other-"

But Hux turns to face them. One of his eyes is bloodshot, loose strands of red hair hang before his eyes as he sweeps from the heightened platform he'd been observing the ground battle from. The pale face, white uniform and maddened expression give him the presence of a crazed ghost. He shoves Lieutenant Quonit to the ground and steps over Admiral Griss' still smoking body, all decorum lost. Without another word, his gloved finger flies over the table's controls and press a large button. He gazes up, his eyes wide and unblinking, and a pacified smile crosses his lips.

Inside and outside the command tower, every single Conformity Droid stops dead in unison. They leer over their enemies, who continue to fire on them outside the command tower and watch in horror within. Slowly their tube-like heads separate in the centre, to reveal concealed circuitry beneath. Without warning, the receptors within the Conformity Droids activate; filling the air with a high-pitched screech. To Final Order officers and Resistance soldiers, it is just a loud noise. But to any of the several hundred Stormtroopers present, the pain is excruciating.

" _AAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH!"_

Tunine screams and falls to the ground, covering her ears. Blood seeps from the edges of her eyes and ears and she tries to shake the noise from reverberating inside her skull. Rose catches her before she hits the floor, but soon Jaytu is also slumped against the wall, her eyes shut tight against unimaginable pain. All around them, Resistance soldiers watch as their Stormtrooper allies are tortured before their eyes. Stormtroopers stunned during the course of the battle are suddenly awoken, screaming and twitching in pain. The sonic attack manufactured by Hux simulates the torture so many suffered during Reconditioning, but the goal of this attack is far more than torture.

"Finn!" Yells Poe over the sharp sound. "Finn, buddy, what's happening? Talk to me!"

Poe grabs desperately at Finn as he too collapses. Blood dribbles from his mouth as he sinks to the floor, his blaster clattering away across the stone steps and his eyes rolling upwards. Poe holds his face in his hands as he sees the truth in Finn's eyes; _this is killing him_.

"RESISTANCE!" Roars Poe over the din. "Advance! Destroy every single droid! Save our allies! Fight for them!"

And they do. Poe, ferocious twins Le and Lo, and a handful of Resistance vanguards raise their blasters and attack the stationary droids, but it's not enough. Their deadly signal reaches far and wide. High above the fortress, the _Millennium Falcon_ and Rogue Squadron prepare to dive back towards their target when some of the TIE Daggers drift from formation, their head's aching and blood sputtering from their noises.

"Rogue Seven!" Leia yells into the Resistance fleet comms, worried. "Pull up! Rogue Five! Rogue Seventeen! What's-"

But none of the Resistance X-Wings and A-Wings pilots can understand why their new allies are suddenly unresponsive, drifting dangerously fast towards the ground as their bodies become unresponsive. Many miles below them, Finn is barely aware of his surroundings, his body feels like a vessel for pain. He is a teenager again, back in that room of his nightmares, back in the Reconditioning unit. His muscles tense hard as the memory of pain shoots through him, again and again. In desperation, Finn uses his pain to reach out in the Force, desperate.

His last hope is that someone will hear him.

* * *

Ben hears it first. A relentless chill climbs his back, as though hundreds of voices screaming in pain reverberate through his very bones, and echoes through the halls of the stone he stands in. It washes through the temple in a split second and engulfs Rey, an ice cold wave of psionic energy crashing over her without warning. Even the damaged and barely operating BB-8 finds the faint sonic reverberation disturbing, whining in a low beep-whistle. The two Jedi have but seconds to comprehend what is happening; their allies are on the brink of death. The Knights of Ren move in, their victory so close it's almost inevitable now. Ben grips Anakin's lightsaber and Rey squeezes the hilt of her own as the weight of consequence follows every movement they make; the war is in their hands now.

Ben charges forward, BB-8 shaking back and forth on his back as he, Trudgen and Vicrul engage. Trudgen, expecting the unflinching frenzy of Kylo Ren, lunges with the remaining blade of his vibroclever to overpower the coming ferocity, but he mistakes his enemy. Ben Solo curves his body gracefully beneath the swing of the vibroblade, and strikes it with Anakin's lightsaber. The vibroclever redirects suddenly, forcibly thrown from Trudgen's hands as it lands squarely in Vicrul's undefended flank. Vicrul screams and falls to the ground, the blade clattering away as it leaves a deep gash in his side. The force of Ben's strike unbalances Trudgen, regains footing behind his foe. Trudgen lifts his hands into the air to brutally crush the redeemed Jedi, but he'd forgotten about the tiny droid Ben carries on his back. The droid extends his shock prod and touches Trudgen's helmet, unleashing a torrent of electrical energy into its metal frame. Trudgen's muscles spasm as he's violently electrocuted, eventually dropping to the floor in a smoking heap. Ben watches him fall, and glances at BB-8 with renewed appreciation for his skills.

Ben climbs the stairs three at a time towards Rey, who is keeping Ap'lek, Cardo and Kuruk at bay. Still attached to the statue altar; Ushar outstretches his hand, inches from joining with his brothers and achieving the prophecy, but Rey is gliding between the warriors with parries and sweeping strikes, a duelist in her element. These are no honourable swordsmen, the Knights of Ren are beasts in the skins of warriors. Kuruk yells in exhilaration as he overheats his blaster rifle at the weaving Jedi. Rey allows the bolts to hit nothing but air, then deflects one at the last second as Cardo lifts a bomb over his head. It explodes into flames and disintegrates his hand, causing him to fall backwards in agony. Kuruk is reeling as he is picked up telekinetically by Ben and thrown forwards. He soars through the air where his helmeted head is caught in Rey's hand, who influences the growing fatigue in his mind through the Force. He goes limp just as Ap'lek's axe soars through the air, aiming to sever Rey's hand. The Jedi drops Kuruk to the ground, spinning her body and sweeping her blade upwards. Ap'lek's coarse metal face is suddenly ruptured as the tip of Rey's lightsaber slices his helmet. Ap'lek drops his axe and stumbles, holding his helmet to prevent it from falling apart.

Falling backwards and blinking inside the now useless headgear, Ap'lek struggles to get to his feet but he is beaten, his four brothers laying unconsciousness around him.

Rey keeps her saber aloft, ready, before she registers Ben approaching her. Her battle confidence disappears as she is suddenly unsure how to act around him. Ben reaches the top of the stairs, only metres away. Something similar seems to be going on behind his face as they both lower their lightsabers. But his look of apprehension suddenly turns to dread.

" _REY!"_ He yells.

Rey brings her saber up to defend against what Ben is looking at behind her shoulder, but even she is not that fast. Ushar has wrenched his metal hand from the altar, the crystal still inside, and lunges at her. The sharp metal fingers of his hand glow like hot coals from being exposed to the molten heat of the temple's inner heart. Rey's eyes widen as the glowing orange fingers reach towards her, until she sees nothing but Ben's long hair.

"Raaaaah!"

Ben's scream of pain shoots through her like ice. He's shielded her from Ushar with just his body. Ben falls to the ground, the net holding BB-8 hitting the floor with a loud ' _CLANG!'_ Rey doesn't think. As Ushar lifts his hand for another strike, she steps over Ben's body defensively and places all her strength into a downwards slash. A molten wound appears across Ushar's chest and his momentum is stopped by pain. Rey grips the rusted metal forearm with her free hand and twists her body, yelling as she throws him away from Ben with all her power. Ushar lifts off the ground and arcs through the air, hitting the stairs below hard and tumbling away to join his unconscious brothers. Rey breathes deeply and harshly for a moment, the temple shuddering in pain around her, before extinguishing her lightsaber and turning towards the body on the floor.

"Ben?" She says quietly. "Ben are you-?"

But the icicle of fear that had struck her heart had lied. Ben kneels just below her, panting, fresh blood trickling down his forehead into his eyes, where a fresh cut can be seen. He shakes his head, indicating he is fine. Ben pushes his fringe back across his head, and Rey looks into his face fully. The muscles working underneath seem softer, less sharp. She notices the fresh bruises, and the fading scar across his right side, and the brown eyes that gaze back. Rey crouches over him, eyes wide, hardly able to contain her joy at his presence.

Slowly the pair both rise and Ben extinguishes his blade, BB-8 hovering just over his broad shoulder. Rey searches for the words, where to start, but comes up blank. She recalls the last time they spoke.

"You made it."

She of course isn't just talking about here, now. Ben is unrecognizable from the man who'd offered his hand to her before Snoke's throne, over a year ago. But there's not time for Rey to indulge in every detail, or for Ben to answer. A huge slab of the atrium's ceiling falls, almost crushing Vicrul. The temple is collapsing, tipping sideways as the magnetic field that keeps it afloat slowly dissipates. The signal emanating from the Conformity Droids mixed with the rumbling cry of the collapsing temple harmonize into a song of woeful calamity. Ben teeters on the spot, BB-8 squealing as more rocks fall. The heart of the statue is empty, his old red crystal still clutched in Ushar's hand no doubt, but the prophecy still needs to be stopped.

"Rey," Ben can't help but allow fear to colour his words. "How do we stop it?"

But Rey simply smiles at him, through sweat, grime and blood clinging to her face. She clips her lightsaber to her belt and takes Anakin's from his hand, before matching his anxious gaze with one of determined hope.

"We don't," she answers.

She twists the old silver weapon harshly in her hands, Ben's tenuous repairs strain and the saber hilt unceremoniously snaps in two. Ben stares, a small noise of disgusted shock escaping his throat as he watches Rey hold the broken halves. He hadn't realised his deep sentimental attachment to the family heirloom until now.

" _W_ - _Why?_ Why did you do that?!" He asks, exasperated.

Rey notices his comically stunned look, and gives a short chuckle.

"Somebody once told me; ' _work out what you want in this life, and let go of what's holding you back'._ I've let go of a lot of things."

Ben raises an eyebrow, knowing his mothers words. Rey interrupts his thoughts by stepping closer. He looks down at her, slightly abashed. She places one of the lightsaber halves into his uninjured hand, the cracked crystal inside exposed. Ben looks from the exposed crystal in his hand to the one in Rey's, realization dawning over him. She then moves to stand before the altar, the statue's molten heart illuminating her face in amber light. Ben realises she is a very different woman from the one who fought beside him in the throne room.

"I know what I want now," she continues, offering her injured hand to him. "If you're ready?"

He looks from the cut on her outstretched hand to the one on his own, and his realisation evolves even further into admiration. Rey has truly seen beyond the sum of their mistakes, and come to an understanding beyond anything he had ever imagined. He runs over the Oracle's prophecy in his head, the feats, the offerings of both their blood, and almost kicks himself for not grasping the Oracle's game before. He's shocked to find himself smiling, beaming at her, and she smiles back, seeing him slowly reach the same understanding. He straightens up.

"I'm ready," he proclaims, rather awkwardly. "Thanks... for waiting."

Her smile is so wide it squishes her cheeks, as if the ordeal they'd been through together was nothing, nothing at all. He takes her hand, and their bond is sealed in blood. Ben walks forward to join her by the altar, in one hand they hold the halves of Anakin's saber, in the other they hold each other. They share one last, tentative look between them before plunging the halves of the saber into the heart of the altar. As harsh warmth of attacks their hands, the couple speak in unison, calling forth the Oracle;

"Zavus Sreacoloe, hayda mus! Hayda mus! Hayda mus!"

The words come from their mouths in a language neither of them recognise. It's not the sharp jargon of the Ren, or the poetic dialect of Rey's ancient texts. It's something more, something new. And it is heard.

The shuddering of the temple subsides. Between them, a velvety smoke appears from the heart of the statue, from the temple itself. It stretches above them to form the semi-circular face and six arms of the Oracle, stretching as if she'd just awoken. Her glassy eyes, many rings of clothing and long arms and fingers appear more beautiful and grandiose than Ben had encountered beneath the labyrinth on Bogar Prax, and she looks down at them with what appears to be delight. She hovers a giant, glittering hand above each of their heads and speaks in her eerie, echoing voice.

" _I see you have grown beyond your pain and hidden memory. I shall bestow upon you both the title of Heir to Victory."_

Suddenly Rey can barely see as she is engulfed in a bright, blinding light. She can just about see Ben opposite her, squinting against the illumination. The temple stops rumbling and begins to correct it's tipped axis, the floor beneath them becoming level as the light spreads. The veins of the temple pulse with colours - blue, green, red, purple, yellow, orange - and multi-coloured aurora lights dance across the ceiling above them. A noise like bird song begins to erupt from the statue, a high voice reverberating through the ancient temple as it lifts into the air. As Rey gazes at the atmospheric lights on the ceiling, flowers and vegetation sprout from the cracks in the atrium ceiling, fully formed and bursting with bright colours. All around them, green leaves and grass snakes across the dusty stone, weaving up the walls and restricting the still unconscious Knight of Ren. Bright flowers burst into life as the vegetation meets the sunset rays of Othkore still shooting through the window.

Rey feels her feet leave the ground and she wobbles slightly, gripping Ben's hand tightly. He retracts his hand from the statue and holds her down, before floating into the air himself, haloed by light. Rey looks into the statue's heart and sees the azure crystal has reforged itself, the silver pieces of lightsaber hilt melded into the statue's stone.

"Rey, look!"

Ben moves his hand up her arm and touches just beneath her shoulder, where a harsh scar had formed after they'd fought together in Snoke's throne room. It fades before Ben's very eyes. He smiles wide, hardly believing what he is seeing as a mere red mark is all that's left. But Rey is concerned with other things.

"Your scar, Ben! It's-"

She reaches out and touches the side of his face. His scar has faded to almost nothing, a thin line of white, and the cut on his forehead from Ushar's metal fingers has healed completely. BB-8 floats on his back, squealing. Ben touches his healed wounds, incredulous.

"What's happening?"

Rey opens her mouth to answer, but a sensation fills her. Her and Ben consciousness connect, and they can feel beyond the confines of their bodies and even the temple itself. They sense the planet Othkore below, and the pain that emanates from the Final Order Fortress. Ben and Rey can feel every person injured, fighting, holding on as the sonic signal tortures them. But they are one with the Force, the Heirs of Victory. They do not just watch.

Rey and Ben outstretch their hands in unison and invite its energy, guiding and channeling the Force with mastery beyond their years. The ancient temple levitates high above the Final Order Fortress and the wall of coloured light that encloses the couple grows, filling the temple and breaching the peak and base points of the stone octahedron. The multi-coloured light reaches the senior command tower and washes over the Stormtroopers below. Suddenly, the pain and withering state of their minds are gone - the signal affects them no longer. High above them in the sky, TIE Daggers falling without responsive pilots suddenly catch themselves in midair.

"Rogue Squadron! Pull up!" Pleads Leia through their comms.

They do, one by one, forming a haze of ships ready to attack. Many of them apologize profusely, but Lando and Chewie have had enough.

" _GRAAGH!"_ Chewie silences the unnecessary chatter before Lando cuts in. "Right Rogues, follow the _Falcon_ and let's end this!"

The stream of starships sweep below the hovering, glowing ancient temple and descend upon the remaining fortress defences, blasting them to pieces. The Conformity Droids that remain stand stock still, commanded to broadcast a no longer working signal, and are cut down by the combined firepower of Resistance and Stormtroopers alike.

" _NOOOOO!"_ Squeals Hux as he approaches the viewport to watch the fortress fall before his eyes. " _IMPOSSIBLE! HOLD THEM! FIGHT THEM! WE MUST NOT-"_

But he's distracted by something else. The sound of blaster fire and scuffles inside his own command tower. Hux whirls around to see the faces of countless Stormtroopers of his personal guard, abandoning their helmets and opening fire upon the nearest guard droid.

" _NO!"_ He fumbles for his blaster pistol in panic. " _You will ALL be reconditioned! Weakness will not be tolerated I-"_

To his right, the blast doors erupt in an explosion that throws him forwards, his pistol spinning away across the floor as smoke fills the room. Hux begins to crawl underneath the chaos, amidst droid arms and legs, bodies, and discarded Stormtrooper helmets. He scrambles towards the back of the room as Resistance soldiers and Stormtroopers overwhelm the blast doors to his left as well. They are being overrun.

"...No," he mumbles as he watches General Engell restrained by Major Snap Wexley, her datapad falling to the ground.

"No, no, no, no, no,-"

Lieutenant Quonit cowers behind a Conformity Droid as It's blasted to pieces. He is restrained, kicking and screaming by a Resistance soldier and helmetless Stormtrooper. Hux ignores him, tugging his cape from getting caught and shuffling away on his hands and knees.

"This…. can't… be happening"

He's almost reached the rear of the senior command tower and then, behind a terminal, there's a hidden passageway, then a tunnel, the his private shuttle, then-

"Grrah!"

Hux chokes as his dirty white cape tugs on his neck, caught. He turns around to wrench it free, but his face falls at what he sees. The last Conformity Droid has fallen, and the noise inside the command tower subsides. Above him, General Poe Dameron stands with his hands on his hips, a look of pure bliss plastered across his face. Next to him, Colonel Finn of the Resistance points a blaster pistol at Hux's pale face. Blood still leaks from his ears and nose, but Finn's heroic smile is more brazen than ever.

"It's over," he says, simply. "You're not goin' anywhere."

Hux lifts his quivering gloved hands high in surrender. The outer walls of the fortress are a smoking mess, blasted considerably by the Resistance fleet that circles above. The large red and black flags, baring the spiked crest of the Final Order, lose their grip and drop from the walls. The Final Order is no more.

* * *

As the last of the conformity droids is destroyed by the Resistance allied forces, the signal no longer needs to be interrupted. Rey and Ben, still hovering in a wall of light, withdraw their hands and their sphere of influence shrinks. They slowly drop to the floor, their boots not meeting dusty stone but soft grass. The walls and floor of the temple atrium have been transformed, vegetation of green and flowers of all colours adorning the stone ceiling and floor, small glowing insects flutter through the air. But neither of the two Jedi are interested in their surroundings.

Ben's hand still rests on Rey's shoulder, and hers on his face. The misty vision of the Oracle begins to fade, without so much as a word. Ben and Rey watch her face disappear, the look of warmth on her face reminds Rey of motherly content, or what she imagines that would look like. Now, apart from the groaning and subdued Knight of Ren below them, they are alone. A moment passes before they immediately retract their hands. Rey's cheeks blaze red and Ben's forehead sweats.

"I-uh," Rey begins, no idea where she's going.

Ben pushes his mop of long dark hair back out of his face, trying to regain himself. Now the urgency is gone, he wants nothing more than to just look. He'd promised himself. But his nerves get the better of him. He looks at his injured hand instead, where a broken white scar has formed over the wound. He searches his face and head, but there's no hint of a scar. He shows his hand to her.

"Looks like there's limits to our power."

Rey, cheeks still glowing red, looks down at Ben's hand and then her own. The cut she'd made forms a curve, like a half moon. She frowns.

"I'm not sure it works like that," she offers, clenching her fist. "Guess we'll find out."

Ben nods, a little unsure. Rey studies his face. Even after all that, all he'd gone through, all he'd faced to make things right, Ben is still hesitant. If she hadn't been so happy to see him she could have fought him. Instead, she does something even more intimate.

She steps over and grips his large hand in hers.

Ben jumps slightly, glancing down at her and seeing the glowing red face. And for a moment, before they move forward with their lives, they both simply look. Hungry and satisfied all at the same time. A few moments pass in silence, then BB-8 squeals; that sonic signal has fried his circuits! Both Jedi smirk with laughter, and Rey tugs Ben away from the statue, down the stairs, past his restricted foes towards the door, and the world beyond.

The temple obeys Rey's mental commands as she places one of her palms on the crystal veins, which dance with all kinds of colours. The monolithic structure lowers itself from the air, the bottom point coming to rest on the runway before the smoking, destroyed gates of the Final Order Fortress. The stone moves and morphs, forming a large staircase that ascends to the corridor Ben and Rey stand in. Ben watches in awe as Rey mentally influences the temple's very structure, choosing to ask less questions and simply watch her proficiency with it. Rey is more interested in the colours of vegetation and flora that have grown across the temple's outer wall, vines and flowers decorating the crystal veins and patterns that glow. As they reach the base of the long staircase, Ben notices a crowd coming towards them and a flicker of fear enters his heart.

The Resistance has multiplied. Helmetless Stormtroopers outnumber the green and yellow clad soldiers and pilots as they approach in the ancient temple's shadow. Several black uniformed officers are being pulled along in binders, and near the back Ben can pick out the white uniform of Hux. He can feel plenty of eyes on him and dread fills him. They know who he is, they know what he's done. How can they ever-

But Rey's hand is still warm in his, and she squeezes tight. She won't let him panic, and she won't let him go. In truth, this is just as important a moment in the return of Ben Solo as any, and he'd endured the worst by far. What was meeting the Resistance to climbing out of the pits of Zoh? Secretly, Ben wishes he could take the climb again.

A few steps from the bottom, the couple stop. At the head of the Resistance, several familiar faces come into view. Major Snap Wexley, Colonel Terez, Commanders Connix, Tico, Jaytu, and Tunine. Bruised, burnt, tired, but victorious. And finally, General Poe Dameron and Colonel Finn, who is first to greet them. Finn leaps up the stairs and throws his arms around Rey, who hugs him tight, her smile wide as they laugh.

"Thanks, for coming back for me." He tells her.

Rey beams, and nods. _Of course_ she came back. Then Finn turns to look at Ben and the tension is palpable. Rey and Finn break apart and he approaches Ben, slightly below him on the stairs. Ben's hands hang uselessly by his side, BB-8 still beeping away on his back. Finn stares unblinkingly at him, then raises a hand.

"Looks like you turned traitor too."

Ben stares at him in shock for a moment before taking his hand, robotically. Immediately, Finn pulls him into a hug and thumps his back enthusiastically.

"Ha!" Laughs Finn at Ben's mortified expression. "Welcome to the Resistance, _Solo!"_

"Th-thanks," says Ben, half relieved and half vexed. As Rey is talking to Poe and the other leaders, directing them into the temple, Ben stands a bit awkwardly when Finn approaches BB-8 and starts cooing at him.

"What happened to you buddy? You're all shaken up?!"

BB-8 answers in a series of excited beeps and whistles, explaining to Finn all that he'd witnessed in the temple atrium, unbeknownst to Ben. Before Ben can realise, three figures approach him.

"You're Ben Solo?" Asks Rose.

Ben breathes in sharply, still not used to the name, but nods curtly.

"Yeah."

Rose takes his hand in hers and squeezes it tight. "What you did was… amazing. Thanks for helping Rey, for helping us."

Ben stutters in shock, utterly bewildered and flattered. Jaytu and Tunine approach too.

"We're traitors too!" Says Jaytu gleefully, pushing her dark curls out of her eyes to examine Ben thoroughly.

"Yeah! No more Stormtroopers, right?" Tunine and Jaytu look at each other, the former scratching her chin.

"I guess that makes you… the ' _Supreme_ _Traitor'_ , right?"

The colour drains from Ben's face.

"I…. errr well-"

But Jaytu is already laughing. Tunine pulls Ben's hand from Rose's grasp and lifts it into the air, turning to the gathering crowd of Resistance allies behind them.

"Hey everyone!" She yells. "Let's hear it for Ben Solo, the _SUPREME TRAITOR!_ "

A huge cheer goes up from those gathered, and a chorus of ' _Supreme Traitor! Supreme Traitor!'_ begins going round. Poe can't help but laugh at Ben's face whilst the soldiers cheer enthusiastically for their once enemy. Ben begins to sweat as he struggles with the attention. Somewhere near the back of the soldiers, in binders and a dirty white uniform, a blood vessel explodes in Armitage Hux's eye.

Finn absorbs most of BB-8's story and turns to Rey, who is speaking excitedly with Poe. Finn simply can't understand all that Rey has been through, all the sadness and horror she's experienced in the last few days, and how she overcame all to come here, to save him. Guilt and gratitude build inside Finn as he approaches her, almost trembling. Being a Jedi, Rey can feel Finn's bubbling emotions just before he does, looking over to see his eyes fill with tears. Finn dashes towards both Rey and Poe, pulling them both into a tight hug, the tears finally coming in streams. He holds his words in his throat, so many that they form a painful lump as he sobs. Rey and Poe's hands pull him in and he manages one word, whispering it over and over, so they never forget it.

" _Thank-you. Thank-you. Thank-you."_

And they are holding him, kissing his face and forehead, hugging him tight. And then Terez grabs Finn in her arms, huge tears dripping from her bright green eyes. Rose wraps her arms around Finn's waist and his hair is ruffled by Jaytu and Tunine. BB-8 and Ben Solo watch together, and a smile creeps across Ben's face. The Resistance takes a moment to breath.

The war is finally over.

* * *

The gathering at the steps of the temple doesn't stay quiet for long. Within a few hours, a full victory celebration has broken out inside the ancient temple, leaving the battlefield of Othkore behind.

The Resistance allies are shocked when they re-enter the temple, or in the cases of ex-Stormtroopers, encounter it for the first time. Lush greenery has crept across the stone. Flowers, vines and other tropical fauna decorate the ceilings. In some parts of the temple, great corridors cross above running water, other a slow stream of lava, from sources unknown deep in the temple. The great structure has evolved since becoming a conduit of the Heirs to Victory, their connection changing it beyond its ruined state. The hangar fills with ships and eventually, another hangar is found to house the new fleet of TIE Daggers and other ships. Once the last of the Resistance ships is safely docked, the new pilots and technicians make their way toward the party.

A grand hall near the centre of the ancient temple is alive with noise. Once used for the Resistance to sleep in, now it's brimming with excitement and joy. A fire burns at the centre of the hall and several others around, the smoke filtering up into the high ceiling and sucked away through the temple's filtration system. The ceiling is adorned with large flowers, fruits trees clinging to the walls. Several porgs flutter between their new nests, accustomed to the high verticals as they're similar to the cliffs of Ahch-To. Their beady eyes watch the amber fires below as Stormtroopers, Scout Troopers, Flametroopers, TIE Pilots, Jet Troopers and more discard their armour upon a pyre, cheering. Some do so tentatively, wondering how their lift without the Final Order will unfold. Some do it aggressively, damming all that the Final Order put them through, and some do it doubtfully, fearful of how they will fit into a galaxy so big and unruly.

Included in that anxious category are several hundred children and young teens, rescued from Othkore's Reconditioning Division. In the coming months, they will work with Resistance intelligence to reverse and understand the Reconditioning they've been put through, but for now they sit in lines around the walls as they are clothed and fed. Some have gathered around Rose Tico, another orphan, and she answers their eager questions.

"I used to live on Hays Minor, and I made it this far!" Rose beams at their eager faces.

"I'm sure we'll be able to find your home, whether it be back to your parents or on to something new."

The children grip their blankets around them and stare at Rose Tico in awe. In their eyes and many others, she is a hero of the future. Elsewhere, other Resistance heroes are enjoying the celebrations. Everything from temple spring water, bottles of Corellian Ale, and mugs of Circuit Cider are being pushed into Poe Dameron's hands, the General who led the Resistance to victory, but he has hands for only one thing. He pulls Finn away from a group of eager ex-Stormtroopers to find a corner by the wall. Poe wraps his arms around Finn once more and kisses him, tears of joy run down his stubbly face as Finn laughs, enjoying his exposure to Poe's love. A half rebuilt BB-8 joins them, and Poe pulls them both into an unexpected embrace.

A tall man enters the room, still wearing the dark poncho and belt he'd slung on to travel to the ancient temple via escape pod, hours earlier. Ben had been a little busy in Rey's quarters, making further repairs to BB-8, and was planning on making a quiet entrance. But these things aren't in Ben Solo's control.

"Hey! It's the Supreme Traitor!" Calls out Tunine, noticing Ben at the top of the staircase. "Everyone! It's Ben Solo!"

A thunderous wail of footsteps and shouting follows her words as hundreds of Resistance soldiers and ex-Stormtroopers alike gather around Ben to shake his hand, ask him questions, and introduce themselves, much to his chagrin. Poe and Finn enjoy Ben's awkwardness from afar as his hand is constantly shaked, back patted, and hair ruffled. He has truly become one of the herd in less than a few hours. BB-8 whistles a welcoming tune to the tall Jedi, whom he'd become rather fond of. Ben fights his way through the crowd, stopping before a handsomely dressed man and two toothy looking gunmen. Lo and Le wear the same tattered flightsuits, but Baron Calrissian sports a fine suit of lavish navy, having ditched his coat after the battle of Othkore. But it isn't Lando's clothes that draws Ben's attention, it is the stern look on his face.

"You've… got a lot of guts kid," he tells Ben sharply.

But he can't hold his distinguished manner any longer. He pulls Ben into a tight hug, burying his face into Ben's chest and gripping him tight.

"What kind of uncle am I, to be so ignorant of what happened to you..."

Crystal tears appear at the edges of Lando's eyes. Ben smiles slightly and clasp his Uncle, wondering if it's the sharpness of his perfume. But Lando continues.

"I am so glad you're here, dear boy."

Ben laughs slightly and squeezes the sensitive old pirate.

"Thanks, Uncle Wanwo."

In case his use of his old childspeak doesn't work to raise Lando's spirits, he throws in another.

"You still good for a favour? Off the record… of course."

Lando looks up at him, remembering the promise he'd made on Ben's birthday so many years ago. His booming laughter fills the space, sadness forgotten. Before he can respond, two hairy arms wrap themselves around the pair and squeeze, hard. Ben and Lando lift into the air as Chewie hoists them up, great tears streaming from his hairy face.

"You'll be careful not to break us Chewie!" Lando shouts over the wookie's great wails. But Ben clasps his free hand around the wookie's shoulders, stroking his uncle's fur and whispering in his ear.

"I missed you too. I'm alright. I'm alright."

Several Resistance pilots share drinks among them as they watch the legendary wookie seemingly strangle two men. Small coves are carved into the stone walls of the grand hall, likely meant for observing as steps lead to their elevated positions. Upon a set of these steps stands Rey, who watches Ben enjoy his reunions and Poe and Finn become unable to untangle themselves in their corner. She laughs to herself, but she's not alone.

"Well, look at what you've done."

Luke's voice seems to come from everywhere, but Rey's senses have sharpened. She turns to her left, her lightsaber glinting on her belt as her hair whips around her. She can just make out the silhouette of the bearded Jedi Master standing next to her, looking out onto the crowd.

"You truly did share what you've learned."

Luke's lip begins to tremble, and Rey looks away politely. She watches as Lando walks around with his arm around Ben, shouting of the feats of his nephew to anyone that will listen and Chewie wipes at his damp fur. Luke's breath is sharp as he sobs quietly, but Rey just beams at the scene.

"I did," says Rey, when she feels enough time has passed. "And I'll be doing far more than that."

Luke's sobs break into a throaty laugh, and he glances sideways at her. She grins back, almost chuckling too. Luke and Rey watch as Ben breaks the edge of the crowd, leaving Lando, Chewie and the others behind, marching towards a huddle of people near the back. Leia, R2, 3PO, and several other of the Resistance intelligence officers hurriedly discuss their next moves. Even during celebrations and devoid of her rank, Leia is still working, still dedicated to passing over all she knows to those that can help. For a moment she doesn't notice Ben's approach, but then she senses him there. She turns slowly to finally look upon her son's face again. His scar has faded, and he looks healthier, less pale. A damp stain lingers on his shoulder, wookie tears no doubt. Ben tries to speak, but he only manages;

"Mom,-"

-before Leia embraces him, crying tears of joy. Finally, her son is home, he's safe. They both sink to their knees, away from the prying eyes of the ongoing celebration. The only one who watches is Rey. Leia lifts her head, and outstretches a hand to the lone Jedi, a warm smile across her face. Rey descends the stairs and takes her hand. Leia squeezes, not letting her eyes move from Rey's own.

" _Thank-you."_

Leia says it so only Rey can hear. Rey nods, their pact fulfilled. Ben straightens up suddenly, brushing tears from his eyes. Rey retreats slightly, content to watch whilst others enjoy themselves. Before she can succeed, a voice sounds over the din reverberating round the hall.

"Rey! Where's Rey!?"

Finn's voice is loud and clear, the sounds of BB-8's whistling beeps following on. Rey looks suddenly alarmed.

"Has anybody seen her? Where's the Jedi!"

Apprehension fills Rey as she twists her head, searching for an escape. But Ben spots her behavior, grinning as an idea forms in his head.

"Ben!" Rey hisses. "Ben, _no!"_

But Ben's Solo's grin is as wide as his shoulders, of which he ducks under Rey and hoists her upon. Rey sways from side to side, grabbing his scarred left hand to steady herself. She raps her knuckles against his head in mock anger.

" _BEN SOLO!_ Put me _DOWN!"_

But Ben is smiling and laughing at her, and her faux frustration rings hollow as she is laughing too. Ben lifts her high into the air and calls out.

"She's here, Finn! The Heir to Victory is here!"

Ben stumbles forward, carrying Rey into the crowd. Finn, Poe, Rose, and a handful of others search through the gathering of people for their friend. When they turn to see her swaying, holding on to Ben's hands for dear life, the sight fills Finn with childish exhilaration.

"Hey everyone!" He yells, pointing to Rey. "Let's hear it for the hero of the Resistance!"

All heads turn to Rey, and faces light up at the sight of her. So many of them clamber forward, drowning Ben in an effort to get close to her, clasping her hand, or just content with being near her. The Jedi of the Resistance, Hero of the Battle of Othkore, the Heir to Victory. Finn starts a chant that quickly picks up;

" _REY! REY! REY! REY! REY! REY! REY! REY! REY! REY! REY!"_

And something hits Rey, deep down. It might be Finn's enthusiasm, a crisp reward from the impossible battle she'd led to save him. It might be Ben's deep laugh as he bounces her on his shoulders. It might be the flushed faces of Rose, Jaytu, and Tunine as they sing into the clash of voices, or the twinkle of a spectre across the room as Luke stands next to Leia, watching the celebrations together. And it might be the fact that the name she'd given herself, all those years ago, is now being yelled by the legendary Resistance in celebration of her victory. It is all of these things, or simply the fact that she is surrounded by love, or both.

But right now, Rey from Jakku cannot help but smile.


	12. Epilogue

The grassy plains of the planet Sicemon stretch all the way to the horizon. A warm and welcome wind sweeps the flowing green blades, travelling up the hills and down into boundless valleys, lakes, and ravines. With only a single sun, Sicemon's sky remains cloudless and blue most of the day, and Rey enjoys it for a moment.

Some time has passed since the Battle of Othkore, and Rey herself has changed. She wears a long garb, handmade and reminiscent of both the Jedi of old and her own unique, practical flare. Her long sleeves protrude from a graceful cloak covering a crossed tunic and leather belts. Her hood is down, allowing her long hair to flow in the breeze, one part weaved into an intimate Chandrilan braid. Her lightsaber glints in the midday sun, but Rey is holding something else in her hands. Far from the caring and personal build of her clothes and lightsaber, the doll is frayed, worn, and impersonal. Its expressionless face stares up at Rey, who has carried it with her since she was a girl, since That Day. She caresses its thin frame, the circular white scar on her hand catching the light. Rey isn't one for long periods of reflection, and decides she's had her fill.

Kneeling down in the grass, Rey makes a small hole in the soil with one hand and places the doll inside. She takes one last look at it, then piles the dirt back atop it, burying it from view. Plumping the grass around the disturbed mud she finally stands, allowing herself to pause, to breath as the grassy plains breath, before turning her back on the doll forever. She no longer has any need for it.

As Rey's cloak and hair billow in the wind, she approaches the shadow of a vast structure; the stone octahedron temple hovers atop a grass topped hill, the bottom peak just brushing the grass, dwarfing all around it in sheer scale. The vegetation growing atop its walls have spread far, and bloom in the Sicemon sun in bright colours of spring. Rey approaches the southern point of the temple, and ascends a flight of criss-crossing stairs she had commanded to form earlier. As she walks through the familiar walkways and corridors on the way to her destination, she comes across small creatures that appear to be short nuns with fish-like faces and scaly legs. In truth, they were once the caretakers of the Jedi Temple on Ahch-To. Now, after reaching out to Rey who travelled there, they have convinced her to allow them to work on the upkeep of the temple Rey and her new Jedi call home. And there's plenty of work to go around.

Rey pauses and moves either side of the path as several caretakers bustle past her, gardening tools in hand, ready to prune the growing fruits and foodstuff located near the outer walls of the temple. Others carry buckets of water, or tend to the grassy flooring under Rey's boots. Rey stays out of their way, hoping not to annoy them more than she needs to. She does chuckle slightly as one of them chases an offending porg with a home-fashioned broom, a stolen fruit clutched in its tiny teeth.

Rey hurries on, hoping she won't be late and miss the take off. She reaches the temple's main hangar, and discovers she has ample time. Several familiar ships are fueling up and undergoing flight checks, preparing for long hyperspace journeys. Rey lifts a hand and calls to the closest friend she can see.

"Rose!"

Between the corridors of X-Wings, A-Wings, B-Wings, Y-Wings, TIE Daggers and larger troop transports, a smaller transport pod sits nestled with three people standing before it. Tunine and Jaytu are dressed in handsome uniforms and headgear, designating them formally as guards. Rose herself is dressed in a formal tunic, belt, and handsome long jacket. No longer a simple mechanic, technician, and sometimes medic; Rose is an ambassador for a new galactic power. The cogs of galactic progress and innovation have advanced considerably in the wake of the Final Order's fall, the abandonment of the Stormtrooper Corps, and the complete decommission of Othkore's armament and shipyards. Leading the charge into a bright future is the Resistance and some allies around the systems liberated during the Battle of Othkore, uniting to form the 'Allied Republic'. The crest of this organisation adorns Rose's lapel and the uniform of her friends and guards; a pointed starbird haloed by a golden light. Rose turns to see Rey and positively beams.

"I hoped you'd see us off!" She says hurriedly. Jaytu and Tunine catch her eye, and try not to smile. Rey smiles at them anyway.

"You will let me know when you reach-"

"Of course, of course," interrupts Rose with a wave of her hand. "But you must tell me of your progress, and the next place you decide to take root in!"

Rey laughs.

"I think we've got a lot of exploring to do first."

"Right." Rose nods. "Ok then, we're off."

Rey beams at her, appreciating how professional she looks with sleek clothes and a new haircut and role, but Rose can't deal with such pleasantries. She wraps her short arms round the Jedi's waist and squeezes tight.

"We'll visit you and Ben soon, ok?"

Rey squeezes Rose with one arm. "Of course, _Ambassador!"_

Rose tries to hide her blush as she scurries up her ship's short landing pad. Jaytu and Tunine tip their hats at Rey, who winks back at them. Before she disappears, Rose peeks out from her ships' entrance.

"Oh, Rey! She's waiting for you!"

Rey straightens her cloak and nods, allowing her garb to flow carelessly around her as she turns and begins to run, searching through the corridors of ships. She approaches the mouth of the hangar, where Resistance ships are loading up conscripts and younger cadets rescued from the Reconditioning Division, ready to embark on the long journey to find their home. Rey turns a corner and finds herself in the handsome shadow of a yacht dubbed _The Lady Luck._ Chewie and Lando are already loading up crates and miscellaneous luggage, with Chewie doing more of the carrying and Lando more of the overseeing. R2 and 3PO seem to be arguing over the destination of their holiday, but Rey can't find the one who she searched for.

"There she is," says a kind voice behind her.

Rey sets eyes on Leia, dressed in a large colourful coat. Her cane clicks eloquently as she and Rey approach and embrace. Rey feels a sudden calmness fall over her.

"I couldn't let you go cruising 'round the galaxy without a goodbye!" Rey begins cheekily.

Leia shakes her head and tuts, pointing a ringed finger at Rey.

"It's only for a few weeks and then-"

"-then Rose and Poe will take care of everything because it's their _job_ ," finishes Rey, sternly. "You promised."

Leia scowls. "Alright," she concedes. "But what about your promise?"

Rey's mock sternness dissipates, replaced by a genuine grin. "Yes, I'll look after him."

"...And?" Leia pushes.

Rey laughs. "And I'll make sure he's not _too_ hard on himself. I know."

Leia nods, both smirking at their little joke. She holds Rey's hand for a moment, returning to genuine affection. Leia begins to speak, but Rey's too fast.

"May the Force be with you, Leia."

Leia is caught by surprise, but surveys Rey with a genuine, loving smile. A moment passes before she straightens up.

"Right! 3PO, let's get this superfluous boat in the sky."

Leia strides off to board the yacht, closely followed by her golden protocol droid who waves his arms.

"Errr, yes! Ah, Gener- I mean Princes- I mean-"

"And enough with the titles!"

3PO waves his hands in distress, whilst R2 laughs at him with a series of beeps. Rey watches them go and moves to the edges of the hangar. The mismatched fleet of the Allied Republic rises into the air a few at a time, hovering through the large hangar into the blazing Sicemon sun. Slowly they rise into the atmosphere and, one by one, they enter hyperspace. Rey watches them go, until she is left alone in the stone hangar. She retreats and spots a familiar ship still grounded. A modified U-Wing transport, decked in colours of blue and orange and the personal ship of Poe Dameron, leader of the Allied Republic navy. Rey circles around the ship looking for it's pilot and finds him, clasped to another person Rey had questioned the whereabouts of. Rey shakes her head, and clears her throat.

"All ready to go, General Dameron?"

Poe breaks away from Finn to stare at Rey. They'd been kissing quite passionately in the shadow of his ship, but the shame of being seen now paints Poe's face. Finn has no such shame, and almost laughs at Poe's comically vexed expression.

"Yes, Rey! I was, just, ah-" Poe stammers. Finn comes to the rescue, clasping his partner by the shoulder and beaming at Rey.

"We've just decided on a name for her!"

Finn nods at the ship before them, placing his hands into the pockets of his handsome coat. Finn leans against his wooden staff, his handsome navy tunic billowing in the draft of the hangar. Rey unfolds her arms and gets giddy herself.

"Oh! Wow! What have you named her?"

The three friends stand in the shadow of the starship, Finn's smiles broadly and outstretches a hand dramatically.

" _The Orange Exogrub!"_

Rey waits a moment before she laughs. Finn chuckles as Poe punches him on the shoulder, amused.

"Stop, I love the name you came up with."

Poe grins as he looks upon their ship. "The ' _Phoenix Wing'_ gives it that right level of...you know..."

Poe sniffs, his love for Finn and starships in general overcoming him momentarily. Finn squeezes him closer and Rey tries not to laugh. Poe wipes a tear away discreetly, and pulls Finn into a close hug.

"Gonna miss you so much, buddy."

"You too," Finn closes his eyes and enjoys the embrace. "I'll see you soon."

Poe breaks away and slaps Finn's chest with the back of his hand.

"Yeah you will," he begins. "And you!"

He pulls Rey into a comically strong bear hug that makes Rey choke.

"Don't let him out of your sight!"

"I won't!" Retorts Rey, casting a devious eye on Finn.

"Or him," Poe adds.

They break apart. A familiar whistle beep signals the arrival of a small droid from the depths of the _Phoenix Wing -_ BB-8. His colours of white, orange and blue match that of Poe's starship, and he waddles up to Rey, excitedly.

"I'm happy to see you too!" Rey coos back to him, affectionately stroking his antennaed head.

"I thought you, Ben, and Finn might need some extra company on your journeys, so-"

Rey bows her head, respectfully. "Thanks Poe."

Poe nods, then holds Finn's forehead to his for a moment of calm. He breaks away and climbs aboard without turning back. The large starfighter rises into the hangar, parts its wings, and shoots rapidly out of the hangar, disappearing into the blue. Rey and Finn wave it off, Finn going for a little longer as he lets his love for Poe take a backseat for a while.

"Finally, I don't have to wonder where you've disappeared to in the evenings!" Teases Rey to lighten the mood.

They both make their way to the back of the hangar, ascending stairs into the temple's depths. Finn turns to her, completely abashed.

"Well now _I_ have to deal with you two all the time, pretending not to gaze at each other..."

The two friends laugh at Rey's expense for a moment, entering the temple control room. It's been reformed to only be operated by the three of them. BB-8 rolls over to a smaller terminal and begins to work its mechanics. Before Finn gets to work, Rey stops him.

"Are you sure you're ready?"

Finn turns, standing tall.

"Yeah. There's lots of things I want to do, places I want to go… but this awakening inside me. I want to learn the ways of the Force, with you."

Rey's heart swells, and she places a hand on her old friend's shoulder.

"Well, the Skywalker Temple is as much your home as it is mine, now."

She approaches the stone astrolabe and flexes her influence in the Force. The stone rings move of their own accord, aligning to pinpoint their next destination, marked by a glowing crystal star and glyph. Rey pauses before it, thinking.

"We're different to the generations of Jedi that came before us." She tells Finn. "We'll travel to the edges of the galaxy, trading knowledge, helping where we can, taking students, and watching over those who need us."

She takes a deep breath, but Finn joins her at the astrolabe. His answer is written all of his face - he's in. More than that;

"Hey, you're a pilot, this is a ship, and you can go anywhere." His hand squeezes her shoulder. "I'm ready when you are."

She nods, and they take their stations. Rey inputs coordinates whilst Finn turns the large stone sphere that anchors the Sky Temple's axis and path. The stone monolith lifts away from Sicemon plains, and begins to hover into the air.

"Oh, also," pipes up Finn, curious. "I heard some spacers on Coruscant discussing the legendary _Heir to Victory!_ "

He smirks, watching Rey for her reaction. "Your and Ben's story is becoming quite the legend!"

Rey shakes her head slightly, flattered.

"And what about the historic _Stormtrooper Rebellion_ that nobody will stop talking about?"

Finn grins smugly.

"Fair enough."

The temple lifts further into Sicemon's atmosphere, as they watch the bright blue sky through the viewport opposite. BB-8, having aided the temple in it's hyperspace calculations, asks a question of Rey that Finn joins in on.

"Yeah! Where is the other 'Heir to Victory'? Is Ben ok on his own?"

Rey had been staring longingly at the sky, thinking on the journey ahead when the mention of Ben brought a smile to her face.

"He's off on a personal mission," she replies quietly. "And he's never alone."

Half a galaxy away in the western reaches, it's night on the junkyard planet of Jakku. Tuanul Village is a small encampment of survivors living near Kelvin Ravine. Several makeshift houses are dotted in a circle around a moisture tower and power generator. The huts and tents around are built and maintained by several volunteer builders, engineers and sentries. The villagers meander around, most turning in for the night.

A man dressed in a long dark tunic and shroud works away, rebuilding a homestead. His hands are dusty and worn from the days work, and most of his colleagues have retreated. He sets another brick down in the creation of an outer wall, and decides to continue on tomorrow.

He takes a sip of his water tankard and approaches the edge of the encampment. At each of the entrances, a sentry sits watch, looking for predators of the Jakku desert. The shrouded man approaches, waving the nearest guards away to pursue a well earned rest. The guard bows his head in appreciation and hobbles off, taking his blaster rifle with him.

The shrouded man approaches the watchpost and sits, his bare forearms bristling in the cold night breeze. Under the light of the watchposts lantern, his clothing is put into sharp relief. Though his shroud is dusty from his work, his garb is impressively made and hangs loosely off his tall frame. The uniform marks him as what will be known as a Jedi Watchman, as the dual belts and silver lightsaber glint in the candid light. Ben Solo removes the wrap from his head, and pushes his hair out of his eyes. It's just him and the long watch now, but the redeemed Jedi is committed. Where there was once aggressive turmoil, now peace and determined purpose. Before him, Jakku's dual moons halo his silhouette, and Ben Solo braves the cold. But not for long.

Familiar footsteps sound behind him and something warm falls onto his shoulders and back. Ben doesn't need to look up to know that Rey is there, through the power of their bond. Her cloak is still warm from her body heat and he pulls it around him, noticing her approach.

"When are you coming home?" She asks, softly.

Ben looks past Rey's legs to the village behind him. Over two years ago, he hunted the map to his uncle here and left destruction and death in his wake. Now, the _Millennium Falcon_ is parked just below, in an outcropping, waiting to take him back to her. But he still has a lot to do.

"Not long," he promises.

Rey is wiser to his feelings by now, even with being his equal in the Force. As he sits with his hands on his knees, she steps over him and perches herself upon the sand before him, her back to his chest.

"Then I'll stay, for a while."

She can't see but Ben smiles wide. He encloses her shoulders in his arms, and gives her a soft kiss on the cheek.

"Thank-you," he whispers to her.

It's one of those phrases that can mean something so simple or encompass rich appreciation, a boundless gratitude. For Ben, it's the latter. And Rey knows, even from across the stars. She tears her eyes away from the night sky and takes in his moonlight face before kissing him back. For many years, Rey had stared at this very same sky, but with Ben, it feels like something completely different. And she doesn't hesitate to let him know.

The couple return to watching the stars and dual moons before them, occasionally catching the odd ship streak to lightspeed. The night is quiet as they hold each other, fighting off the cold with shared warmth. As they watch the moons move through the sky, two spectres appear behind them to overlook the quietly jubilant scene. The faint vision of Anakin and Luke Skywalker, father and son, gaze graciously upon the couple together, and at the promising future that lies ahead.

The circle is truly complete.

THE END


End file.
